Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that recent US and Israeli strikes on Iran have created an opportunity for the Iranian people to remove the “terrorist regime” in Tehran, a close ally of Russia.
Ukraine, which has been defending against 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 across Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.
“It is only fair to give the Iranian people a chance to get rid of the terrorist regime, to get rid of it and guarantee the safety of all nations that have suffered from terror originating in Iran,” Zelensky said in a social media video address.
Highlighting the role of the United States, Zelensky added: “It is important that the United States is determined. And whenever America is determined, global criminals weaken.”
The Ukrainian leader noted that Russia has deployed “more than 57,000 Shahed-type strike drones against Ukraine — against our people, against our cities, against our energy sector.” He stressed that Ukraine has never threatened Iran, but the Iranian regime “chose to be Putin’s accomplice.”
Earlier on Saturday, Kyiv stated that the Iranian government’s “violence against its own people and other countries” had prompted the US and Israeli attacks.
“The reason for the current events is precisely the violence and arbitrariness of the Iranian regime, in particular the murders and repressions against peaceful protesters, which have become particularly large-scale in recent months,” Ukraine’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
Zelensky’s remarks come amid escalating tensions over Iran’s support for Russia and ongoing domestic unrest in Tehran, highlighting the complex geopolitics linking the Middle East and Eastern Europe.
