A senior Iranian lawmaker warned Saturday that Ukraine could become a “legitimate target” for Iran, accusing Kyiv of assisting Israel during the ongoing conflict.
Ebrahim Azizi, head of the national security and foreign policy committee in the Iranian parliament, wrote on X that Ukraine had effectively entered the war by supporting Israel with drones.
“By providing support to the Israeli regime with drones, the collapsing Ukraine has in fact become involved in the war,” Azizi wrote. “According to Article 51 of the U.N. Charter, this has turned all of its territory into a legitimate target for Iran.”
Azizi did not specify how Ukraine was allegedly assisting Israel.
Earlier this week, however, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine had sent drone interception systems along with a team of experts and operators to Jordan to help defend U.S. bases in the kingdom.
Ynet also reported Saturday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sought to hold talks with Zelenskyy about potential Israel-Ukraine cooperation in intercepting Iranian drones.
Ukraine has gained extensive experience countering attack drones during more than four years of war with Russia, particularly drones developed or upgraded based on Iran’s Shahed-136 design.
Ukrainian air defense forces have developed a range of tactics to intercept most of the drones used by Russia, making Ukraine one of the most experienced countries in the world in dealing with such threats.
Since the war with Iran began about two weeks ago, Zelenskyy has repeatedly emphasized Ukraine’s willingness to assist countries facing Iranian drone attacks, citing the experience Ukrainian forces have gained in defending against Russian strikes.
About 10 days ago, Zelenskyy said the United States had specifically asked Ukraine for assistance in defending against drones, including sending specialists to countries in the Middle East and the Gulf to help counter the threat.
Zelenskyy reiterated that message Friday during a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris, saying Ukraine is prepared to share its experience from the war with Russia in countering attack drones.
He added that more than a dozen countries have approached Ukraine seeking assistance in dealing with Iranian-made drones.
“It is important for all of us that through joint efforts we stabilize the situation in the Middle East and the Gulf region and prevent this war from spreading further,” Zelenskyy said.
He said Ukraine has developed significant expertise in countering Shahed drones, which Iran has supplied to Russia and trained Russian forces to operate.
“Ukraine now has the world’s greatest expertise in fighting Shaheds,” Zelenskyy said, referring to the Iranian-designed attack drones.
He added that effective defense requires not only interceptors but also trained personnel and integrated systems that combine radar and broader air defense capabilities.
“Ukraine is ready to share this experience for the security of those partners who support us,” Zelenskyy said, adding that Europe should also adopt similar defenses as the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East demonstrate the nature of modern warfare and the importance of cooperation among allies.