Iran declares Ukraine a ‘legitimate target’ over alleged drone support to Israel

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Iran has warned that Ukraine could become a target after Tehran accused Kyiv of providing drone assistance to Israel.

Ebrahim Azizi, who heads Iran’s parliamentary national security committee, made the claim on the social media platform X. He alleged that Ukraine had effectively joined the ongoing conflict.

“By providing drone support to the Israeli regime, failed Ukraine… has turned its entire territory into a legitimate target for Iran,” Mr Azizi wrote. He did not present evidence to support the allegation.

Ukraine has not officially confirmed any drone assistance to Israel. However, Kyiv has deployed military specialists to countries such as Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.

Earlier this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said several countries had asked Ukraine to help counter Iranian-made Shahed drones. According to him, the requests came from 11 nations, including the United States and several countries in the Middle East and Europe.

Zelensky also met Reza Pahlavi, the exiled Crown Prince of Iran, in Paris on Friday. The meeting focused on the ongoing conflict involving Iran.

Iran’s envoy to Ukraine, Shahriar Amouzegar, dismissed Ukraine’s actions in the Middle East. Speaking to AFP on Saturday, he said: “As for the actions Ukraine is taking in the Middle East against drones, we essentially consider them nothing more than a joke and a showy gesture.”

Iran maintains close strategic relations with Russia. The two countries cooperate on military technology, intelligence sharing, and regional security matters.

Ukraine’s foreign ministry responded strongly to the threat from Tehran. Heorhii Tykhyi, a ministry spokesman, accused Iran of helping Russia attack Ukraine.

“The Iranian regime has been supporting the murder of Ukrainians for years by directly supplying drones and technology for Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

“Hearing anyone from that regime threaten Ukraine while citing the right to self-defence enshrined in Article 51 of the UN Charter is absurd. It’s like hearing a serial killer justify his crimes by citing the criminal code.”

Iran-designed Shahed-136 drones have frequently struck Ukrainian cities since at least 2024. Russia initially relied on Iranian supply but later began producing the drones locally and upgrading the designs.

Since the United States and Israel began strikes on Iran on February 28, reports suggest the Kremlin has shared intelligence with Tehran. The information is believed to assist Iranian attacks on US military targets and personnel in the region.

Zelensky also accused Moscow of increasing its military support for Iran.

“Russia has started supporting the Iranian regime with drones. It will definitely help with missiles, and it is also helping them with air defence,” Mr Zelensky said on Wednesday.

Britain’s Defence Secretary, John Healey, also linked Russia to Iranian military operations in the Middle East. He said President Vladimir Putin may be influencing Tehran’s drone campaign against Western forces and their allies.

Mr Healey spoke after Iranian drones struck a coalition air base in Erbil in northern Iraq. British forces intercepted two drones, but others managed to hit the facility on Wednesday night.

“No one will be surprised to believe that Putin’s hidden hand is behind some of the Iranian tactics and potentially some of their capabilities as well,” the Defence Secretary added.

Meanwhile, Russia announced it had delivered 13 tons of humanitarian aid to Iranian authorities through Azerbaijan. The shipment followed instructions from President Vladimir Putin.

Officials in Moscow also confirmed frequent communication between Russian and Iranian leaders. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin remains in “constant contact” with Tehran’s leadership.

During a phone conversation with Donald Trump on Monday, Putin reportedly suggested moving Iran’s enriched uranium to Russia as part of proposals aimed at ending the conflict.

“This is not the first time it was offered. It hasn’t been accepted. The US position is we need to see the uranium secured,” a US official told Axios.

Russia has criticised the United States and Israel for attacking Iran. Moscow described the strikes as “the implementation of a long-cherished plan to violently overthrow the constitutional order of a sovereign state that Washington and Tel Aviv dislike.” It also called for an immediate end to the fighting.

However, analysts estimate that rising global oil prices linked to the conflict may bring Russia as much as $150 million in additional revenue each day. The International Energy Agency described the situation on Thursday as “the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market.”