A day after Ukrainian President Vlodomyr Zelenskyy criticised Iran for supplying deadly drones to Russia, Tehran issued a threatening statement against the Ukrainian President while denying the allegation.
"Mr. Zelenskyy had better know that Iran’s strategic patience over such unfounded accusations is not endless," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said in a message posted to the ministry’s website.
Kanaani's allegation comes a day after Zelenskyy said in the US Congress that "Iranian deadly drones, sent to Russia in hundreds, became a threat to our critical infrastructure."
Zelenskyy added: "That is how one terrorist has found the other. It is just a matter of time — when they will strike against your other allies, if we do not stop them now."
These comments irked Iran, which advised Zelenskyy "to draw a lesson from the fate of some other political leaders who contented themselves with the U.S. support."
Kanaani also alleged that Zelenskyy had exploited the issue "with the hope of strengthening Ukraine’s defensive power and American support for the war." He added that Iran would not "seek permission from anyone" to expand ties with Russia, amid the West's concerns over a growing military partnership between Tehran and Moscow.
This comes as Russia reportedly began using Shahed-136 kamikaze drones in Ukraine, which wreaked havoc on Ukraine's critical power infrastructure. Though Iran denied supplying weapons to Russia, the White House had stated that Russia’s military personnel based in Crimea have been piloting Iranian drones to conduct strikes across Ukraine.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said, "In just recent days, we assess that Iranian military personnel were on the ground in Crimea and assisted Russia in these operations."
Meanwhile, Israeli media reports quoting Mossad chief David Barnea said that Iran is continuing to supply Russia with advanced weaponry. "We warn against Iran’s future intentions, which they are trying to keep secret, to deepen and expand the supply of advanced weapons to Russia, to expand the uranium enrichment project and to intensify their attacks against friendly Muslim countries in the region,” Barnea said.
Russia will in turn supply Iran with advanced military technology and military components.