In a statement responding to a message issued by the US Embassy in Baku, where Washington emphasized the contribution of its donated specialized equipment to the discovery of a drug shipment on a transit route, the Iranian Embassy said 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 said that the role of the American side in the unprecedented increase of drug production and trafficking in Afghanistan is significant.

Official international reports show 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,” it said.

The statement added that Iran has long been 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 said recent talks during the visit of Iran’s anti-narcotics police chief to Azerbaijan marked a milestone in strengthening bilateral cooperation.