Baku: Iran's Embassy in Baku has announced that close cooperation with Azerbaijan in the fight against drug trafficking "will continue with strength and seriousness." This statement comes in response to a US attempt to highlight its own role in regional anti-narcotics efforts.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, the Iranian Embassy issued a statement responding to a message from the US Embassy in Baku. The US had emphasized the contribution of its donated specialized equipment to the discovery of a drug shipment on a transit route. The Iranian Embassy countered that "combating drug trafficking is a collective, continuous and complex responsibility, and any promotional operation by highlighting specific equipment cannot cover the realities on the ground."

The embassy also pointed out the significant role of the United States in the unprecedented increase of drug production and trafficking in Afghanistan. It highlighted official international reports showing that during "more than two decades of the occupation of Afghanistan by the US and its allies, the level of drug cultivation and the volume of its trafficking multiplied."

Furthermore, the statement emphasized Iran's long-standing position on the front line of anti-narcotics efforts, bearing "the heaviest human and financial costs" despite equipment and technical constraints caused by "illegal and unjust sanctions." The embassy noted that recent discussions during the visit of Iran's anti-narcotics police chief to Azerbaijan marked a milestone in strengthening bilateral cooperation.