Iran says Ukraine president drone criticism a bid to safe extra Western arms By Reuters

(Reuters) – Tehran on Saturday accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy of anti-Iranian propaganda in his name for Iran to halt the provision of drones to Russia, saying his feedback have been designed to draw extra arms and monetary help from the West.

Zelenskiy in a video handle on Wednesday known as on Iranians to cease their slide into “the darkish facet of historical past” by supplying Moscow with drones. 

Iran initially denied supplying Shahed drones to Russia however later mentioned it had offered a small quantity earlier than the battle started. Ukraine says the drones have performed a serious function in Russia’s assaults on cities and infrastructure.

“The Ukrainian president’s repeat of delusional claims towards the Islamic Republic of Iran is consistent with the anti-Iranian propaganda and media warfare geared toward attracting as many arms and monetary help as potential from Western international locations,” Iranian international ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani mentioned in an announcement carried by Iranian media.

Ukraine, Kanaani mentioned, has been refusing to permit an impartial investigation into these claims.

Russia has boosted its army cooperation with Iran because the launch of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. It has admitted utilizing Iranian-made drones, however it’s now looking for to spice up its personal manufacturing.

In his Wednesday handle, Zelenskiy mentioned: “The straightforward query is that this: what’s your curiosity in being an confederate to Russian terror?”

“Your Shaheds, which terrorise Ukraine each evening, imply solely that the individuals of Iran are being pushed deeper and deeper into the darkish facet of historical past,” he mentioned.