Ukraine Cancels Air Transport Agreement with Iran

The Ukrainian Cabinet has canceled the intergovernmental air transport agreement with the Islamic Republic of Iran. According to Ukrainian media, Taras Melnychuk, the permanent representative of the government in parliament, announced this in a Telegram post. Melnychuk stated that the air services agreement between the government of Ukraine and the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, signed on July 19, 1993, in Tehran, has been terminated. On September 9, Shahryar Amouzgar, the Iranian affairs officer in Ukraine, was summoned to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry regarding reports of the potential transfer of ballistic missiles from the Islamic Republic to Russia. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry warned Tehran that if the transfer of ballistic missiles from Iran to Russia is confirmed, it would have devastating consequences for Ukraine-Iran relations. This action comes at a time when Ukraine has closed its airspace since February 24, 2022, and regular civilian flights to the country have been halted since then. Recently, despite repeated warnings from the international community, the Iranian government has sent hundreds of ballistic missiles to Russia. In response to the military cooperation between the Islamic Republic and Russia, the United States and the European Union have imposed several sanctions against individuals and entities involved in developing these relations. On Saturday, September 24, the foreign ministers of the G7 countries issued a joint statement condemning the transfer of ballistic missiles from the Islamic Republic of Iran to Russia in the strongest terms. They reminded that Russia is using Iranian weapons to massacre Ukrainian civilians and target the critical infrastructure of the country.