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On Saturday, the head of Iran’s National Security Commission in the parliament issued a threat against Ukraine, declaring it a “legitimate target” due to its alleged provision of drone technology to Israel.
In his statement, Ebrahim Azizi invoked Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, which allows for a nation’s right to self-defense if it faces an armed attack.
Azizi claimed, “Ukraine, by assisting the Israeli regime with drone technology, has entangled itself in the conflict. According to Article 51 of the UN Charter, this action justifies Iran viewing the entire Ukrainian territory as a legitimate target,” he wrote on the social media platform X.
However, Azizi did not furnish any concrete evidence to back his allegations, which emerged amidst the ongoing joint military operations by the U.S. and Israel, now entering their third week.
Earlier this month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed that Ukraine was dispatching a team of military experts to the Middle East. Their mission is to support the U.S. and its Gulf allies in intercepting Iranian drones.
The Shahed drones being used in Tehran’s retaliatory attacks are the same Iranian-designed systems that Russia, a close ally of theirs, has deployed extensively against Ukraine since launching its full-scale invasion in 2022.
Zelensky noted in a post on X that several countries had reached out for Ukraine’s help in countering the drone strikes, one of which killed six U.S. servicemembers in Kuwait in the early days of the war.
“In just a few days, Iran has launched over 800 missiles of various types and more than 1,400 attack drones. It is Iranian drones and missiles that pose the main threat to free navigation, destabilizing global prices for oil, petroleum products, and gas,” he wrote.
“Ukraine can contribute to protecting lives and stabilizing the situation,” Zelensky added.
The move came amid reports that Russia was sharing intelligence with Iran on the locations of U.S. ships and aircraft in the region. Russian leaders have denied the claims, according to Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
Zelensky told German journalist Gordon Repinski on Thursday that his country sought to sign a “big drone production deal” with the U.S. but was still awaiting approval from the White House.
“We didn’t have the opportunity to sign this document yet,” he shared on X. “I hope that maybe American friends will be closer to this decision now, especially after such challenges as we see in the Middle East.”