Iran's parliamentary Commission on National Security and Foreign Policy has strongly refuted Western allegations regarding Iranian arms exports to Russia, labelling them as "unfounded and empty claims," IRNA reported on September 16.

The Commission suggested that these accusations are intended to deflect attention from Western involvement in the Gaza conflict and the escalation of war in Ukraine.

"The principled position of the Islamic Republic of Iran regarding the ongoing war in Ukraine remains unchanged," the statement read.

"Iran maintains that the expansionism of NATO member countries is the root cause of such a crisis," it added.

The Commission expressed regret over what it termed as "double standards and selective approaches" by some Western countries. It pointed to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, accusing the United States and Europe of providing "unwavering arms, financial, intelligence, and media support" to Israel.

Notably, the statement highlighted that even European allies have rejected recent accusations against Iran regarding weapons exports to Russia.

Despite this, the Commission noted with disappointment that three European countries - the UK, France, and Germany - have threatened Iran with increased sanctions based on what it called "false statements".

"It is regrettable that these three European countries and others in the West are not joining the global awakening against war criminals, and are instead obstructing this global movement," the Commission added.

Iran's national carrier, Iran Air, is set to suspend flights to the United Kingdom, Germany, and France, a move that could impact nearly 900,000 Iranian expatriates residing in these countries following the earlier move by European countries to ban the airline over the alleged missile shipments.

Iranian officials have consistently denied supplying weapons to Russia for use in Ukraine, maintaining that Tehran's policy is one of neutrality in the conflict.

The UK government announced that direct flights between Iran and Britain would cease within 12 months, effectively cancelling Iran Air's service - the sole direct flight option on this route.

Germany and France are also considering suspending air transport agreements with Iran, citing allegations that Tehran is supplying ballistic missiles to Russia for use in the Ukraine conflict.

The flight cancellations pose significant challenges for the large Iranian diaspora in these countries. "This decision will complicate travel for hundreds of thousands of Iranians living abroad," said Ali Ahmadi, a London-based Iranian community leader.

Travellers to the UK will now need to route through cities such as Moscow, Vienna, Doha, or Istanbul, adding time and cost to their journeys.