ANKARA, January 19. /TASS/. Provocative actions by NATO and Western countries are the main cause of the conflict in Ukraine, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said in an interview with the Turkish TRT World TV channel on Thursday.

"The war in Ukraine is a complex affair. Some think tanks in the West believe that the war in Ukraine is a new beginning in the history of international relations. Well, the position of the Islamic Republic of Iran has been clear from the very start of this war and it has been confirmed at the highest level. We oppose war and wish to see a political settlement. Also, we consider provocative actions by NATO and some Western countries to be the root cause of this war," he stressed.

Abdollahian recalled that Tehran had "exerted great efforts to mediate between Kiev and Moscow at the level of their foreign ministers and presidents."

"We hope that there will soon be peace in Ukraine and the war will end. There is no double standard here. We are against the wars in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Palestine and Afghanistan. Similarly, we oppose the war and the displacement of people in Ukraine. On the other hand, we recognize the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries within the framework of international law, and for this reason, although relations between Tehran and Moscow are excellent, we did not recognize the secession of Crimea from Ukraine. We did not recognize the secession of Lugansk and Donetsk from Ukraine, because we adhere to our consistent principle in foreign policy. When we say that war is not a solution in Ukraine, we really mean it, we consider it a fundamental policy and we rely on it," he added.