Zelenskyy voices support for pressure on Iran government

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that fast-moving events in the Middle East and Gulf region underscored the dangers of Iran’s alignment with Russia, accusing Tehran of supplying Moscow with Shahed attack drones and related technology used against Ukraine.

“Events in the Middle East and the Gulf region are developing rapidly. Unfortunately, Ukraine knows well what this looks like,” Zelenskyy said in a Persian post on X. “Although Ukrainians have never threatened Iran, the Iranian regime decided to be Putin’s accomplice and provide him with ‘Shahed’ — not only drones, but also the technology. Iran has also provided other weapons to Russia.”

Zelenskyy said Russia had used more than 57,000 Shahed drones during the war, targeting civilians, cities and energy infrastructure, and argued it was fair for Iranians to be given a chance to rid themselves of “a terrorist regime.”

He said saving lives, preventing the war from spreading, and decisive US action were essential, adding that “whenever the United States is determined, global criminals are weakened.”

He said Ukraine was ready to help any nation improve security and justice and reduce what he called terrorist regimes.