Zelenskiy: Changes in Iran From U.S. and Israeli Strikes Must Be Used to Help Iranian People

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday that recent shifts in Iran, prompted by strikes from the United States and Israel, should be "used properly" to deliver tangible benefits to the Iranian people who have endured state violence.

Speaking in his nightly video address, Zelenskiy accused Iran's authorities of killing "tens of thousands of people in the last couple of months alone," a reference to the regime's harsh crackdown on nationwide protests. He urged that any resulting changes be directed toward supporting ordinary Iranians who have long stood against the regime.

"It is important that this chance for changes in Iran be used properly," Zelenskiy said. "The Iranian people were on their own for a long time, enduring violence while standing against the Iranian regime."

Zelenskiy also reiterated a point he made after the strikes began: that firm U.S. resolve "brings results." He thanked "everyone who is trying to prevent the spread of war" and urged Russia to heed the consequences faced by Iranian leaders, saying that "justice is finally served in the end."

Highlighting Tehran's role in the conflict, Zelenskiy said Iran had "predetermined the way it is treated" by supplying Shahed-type attack drones to Russia in Moscow's four-year war against Ukraine and by "fomenting wars in the region." He noted that Moscow has fired more than 57,000 Iranian-designed Shahed drones at Ukraine during the course of the war.

All remarks above reflect Zelenskiy's statements in his public address.