PARIS, June 10, 2023 (BSS/AFP) - French President Emmanuel Macron on
Saturday urged his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi to "immediately end"
Tehran's support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which involves supplying
Moscow with attack drones, the Elysee said.
Macron in a telephone call underlined the serious "security and
humanitarian consequences" of Iran's drone deliveries "and urged Tehran to
immediately end the support it thus gives to Russia's war of aggression against
Ukraine", said a statement.
The call came a day after White House national security spokesman John
Kirby said Russia was receiving materials from Iran to build a drone factory on
its territory that "could be fully operational early next year".
The White House released a satellite image of the location of the
prospective plant in the Alabuga special economic zone, some 900 kilometres
(560 miles) east of Moscow.
"The Russia-Iran military partnership appears to be deepening," Kirby said
in a statement, citing US intelligence information.
The United States has said that Russia has received hundreds of Iranian
attack drones to attack Kyiv and "terrorise" Ukrainians, a charge denied by
Tehran.
According to US data, the drones are built in Iran, shipped across the
Caspian Sea "and then used operationally by Russian forces against Ukraine",
Kirby said.
The White House said it would release a new government advisory to assist
businesses and governments "to ensure they are not inadvertently contributing
to Iran's (drone) program".