On Thursday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry issued a statement in response to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s address to Congress this week. The statement, which was posted to the ministry’s website, accused Zelenskyy of making unfounded accusations about Iran and warned that Tehran’s “strategic patience over such unfounded accusations is not endless.”
Zelenskyy addressed the U.S. Congress on Wednesday in an appeal for additional aid from the United States. His plea was aimed at Republican lawmakers who remain divided over whether providing support to Ukraine is a matter of national security or not. During his speech, Zelenskyy criticized Russia’s military actions in Ukraine as well as its alleged ties with Iran, accusing Tehran of supplying Russia with drones and other weapons systems.
In response to these accusations, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani issued a warning to Zelenskyy on Thursday, stating that “Mr. Zelenskyy had better know that Iran’s strategic patience over such unfounded accusations is not endless.” He also advised the Ukrainian president “to draw a lesson from the fate of some other political leaders who contented themselves with the U.S. support.” This warning was seen by many as yet another example of increasing tensions between Iran and western powers.
Meanwhile, Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated earlier this week that the United States will offer Kyiv $130 million in economic aid and security assistance — including weapons systems — in order to help it protect itself from Russian aggression. While Pompeo did not explicitly mention Iran during his announcement, it is clear that these efforts are part of an ongoing effort by Washington to counter Iranian influence in eastern Europe and beyond.
It remains unclear how events will unfold between Ukraine and Iran following Thursday’s statement from the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani.
