Iran ‘contributing to war crimes’ in Ukraine

Agencies | Mexico City                            

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com   

Iran could be contributing to war crimes in Ukraine by providing drones to Russia, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said yesterday.

“Their weapons are being used to kill civilians in Ukraine and to try to plunge cities into cold and darkness which, from our point of view, puts Iran in a place where it could potentially be contributing to widespread war crimes,” Sullivan told reporters during a trip by President Joe Biden to Mexico.

The US has imposed sanctions on companies and people it accused of producing or transferring Iranian drones that Russia has used to attack civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.

The White House said last week that the US is also considering ways to target Iran’s production of the unmanned weaponised aircraft through sanctions and export controls.

Death penalty

Meanwhile, Iran has sentenced to death three people accused of killing three members of the security forces during the protests triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini, the judiciary said yesterday.

The Islamic republic has been rocked by civil unrest since the September 16 death of Kurdish Iranian Amini, 22, following her arrest for allegedly violating Iran’s strict dress code for women.

The latest sentences, which can still be appealed, bring to 17 the total number of people condemned to death in connection with the more than three months of protests. Four of those convicted have been executed and two others are on death row after their sentences were upheld by the country’s supreme court.