Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday said recent US and Israeli strikes on Iran had created an opportunity for the Iranian people to remove what he described as the “terrorist regime” in Tehran.
Ukraine, which has been resisting Russia’s full-scale invasion since 2022, has repeatedly accused Iran of supplying Moscow with weapons, including Shahed drones and short-range missiles, used in attacks on Ukrainian territory.
In a video address posted on social media, Zelensky said it was “only fair to give the Iranian people a chance to get rid of the terrorist regime and guarantee the safety of all nations that have suffered from terror originating in Iran.”
He praised Washington’s posture, adding: “It is important that the United States is determined. And whenever America is determined, global criminals weaken.”
Zelensky said Russia had deployed “more than 57,000 Shahed-type strike drones against Ukraine — against our people, against our cities, against our energy sector.”
“Although Ukrainians have never threatened Iran, the Iranian regime chose to be Putin’s accomplice,” he added.
Earlier on Saturday, Kyiv said Iran’s “violence against its own people and other countries” had precipitated the US and Israeli strikes.
In a statement, Ukraine’s foreign ministry said the “violence and arbitrariness of the Iranian regime,” particularly the killings and repression of peaceful protesters in recent months, had led to the current escalation.
