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The chair of Iran’s National Security Commission issued a stark warning to Ukraine on Saturday, suggesting that the country has become a “legitimate target” for Iran. This claim arises from allegations that Ukraine has been supplying drone technology to Israel.
Ebrahim Azizi, the commission’s head, invoked Article 51 of the United Nations Charter to justify his threat. This article allows for the right to individual or collective self-defense if an armed attack occurs against a member state.
“By aiding the Israeli regime with drone technology, Ukraine has entangled itself in the ongoing conflict. Consequently, under Article 51 of the UN Charter, Ukraine’s entire territory is now considered a legitimate target for Iran,” Azizi stated in a post on the social media platform X.
However, Azizi did not provide concrete evidence to back up his claim. His statement comes amid the intensifying joint military operations conducted by the United States and Israel, now entering their third week.
Earlier this month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed that a team of Ukrainian military specialists was being deployed to the Middle East. Their mission is to assist 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.”