Recently, after Ukrainian forces struck an Iranian cargo ship, tensions between Ukraine and Iran have escalated. On July 27, local time, Ukrainian President Zelensky stated that Iran has already attacked Ukraine by providing military assets to Russia.
On July 27, local time, Zelensky gave an interview to Sky News in the UK. Screenshot from Sky News video.
According to Fox News, on July 27, local time, while visiting the UK, Zelensky told Sky News chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay that Iran has been directly involved in the conflict since its early stages by supplying Russia with drones, technology, and production licenses. “Iran provided Russia with new bases and new technology from the very first year of the war. It’s the Shahed drones. They provided thousands of these drones in the first year, and then they also provided licenses,” he said.
Zelensky claimed that Iran has entered the conflict by arming Moscow. “What have they done? Have they attacked us? I think yes. They have already done it, and the war is already underway.”
Zelensky added: “We must be cautious and do our best not to open any new front lines, but we also have to be honest. The Iranians and North Koreans have already attacked us.”
He expressed hope that Iran won’t expand its support to Russia but warned that Ukraine needs to be prepared. “I hope they won’t increase these attacks, but we have to be ready for everything. We can’t trust these people because, right from the very beginning—when we had no information or any kind of escalation on our side—the Iranians provided weapons, and the North Koreans provided weapons—drones, missiles, and artillery shells.”
On July 25, Iran’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that an Iranian cargo ship was hit by a Ukrainian long-range unmanned system in the Caspian Sea, causing an explosion that left at least one crew member dead and several others injured. Iran’s Foreign Ministry urgently summoned Ukraine’s charge d’affaires in Tehran, accusing Kyiv of “hostile and criminal acts.”
Later, Zelensky posted on social media that Ukrainian forces had carried out “long-range precision strikes” on vessels involved in military cargo transport in the Caspian Sea, as well as on Russian warships.
On July 26, Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi posted a statement calling the move a blatant violation of the UN Charter, carried out under Israel’s orders with the aim of dragging Europe into war.
Araghchi said that in phone calls with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kallas and Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, it was made clear that “that freeloader in Kyiv” would not get away with his actions without a response.