Iran's chargé d'affaires in Kyiv, Shahriar Amouzegar, dismissed Ukraine's transfer of anti‑drone expertise to the US and Gulf states as a "joke," saying Kyiv had sided with Iran's adversaries. Ukraine has sent specialist teams to Qatar, the UAE and Saudi Arabia while seeking conventional air‑defence systems. An Iranian lawmaker suggested Ukraine could become a legitimate target under Article 51, a claim Kyiv called "absurd."
Iran Envoy In Kyiv Calls Ukraine's Anti‑Drone Aid To US And Gulf States 'A Joke'
Kyiv downgraded diplomatic relations with Iran after it supplied Shahed drones to Moscow (Sergei SUPINSKY)(Sergei SUPINSKY/AFP/AFP)
Shahriar Amouzegar, Iran's chargé d'affaires in Kyiv, dismissed Ukraine's recent transfer of anti‑drone expertise to the United States and Gulf states as little more than a "joke" and a "showy gesture," in an exclusive interview with AFP at the Iranian embassy in Kyiv.
Speaking from a partly vacated embassy residence near the Ukrainian presidential administration, Amouzegar said Kyiv’s deployment of seasoned anti‑drone specialists to countries facing strikes from Iranian‑designed drones amounted to Ukraine placing itself "alongside our enemies." He added that Tehran did not view the assistance as having material significance.
Background
Ukraine scaled down Iran’s diplomatic mission in 2022, stripping the ambassador of accreditation after Tehran supplied Shahed drones to Russia. Despite that, the embassy in Kyiv remains operational while Ukraine continues to face near‑daily attacks by Iranian‑designed drones launched by Russia during the four‑year conflict.
What Ukraine Has Done
Kiev says it has sent anti‑drone teams to Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia and is seeking to trade technical expertise for conventional air‑defence missiles it urgently needs. Kyiv has framed the exchanges as mutual support against a shared drone threat.
"As for the actions Ukraine is taking in the Middle East against drones, we essentially consider them nothing more than a joke and a showy gesture," Amouzegar told AFP.
Amouzegar denied Iranian involvement in the Russian invasion and expressed support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity, while accusing Kyiv of "playing the 'Iran card'" to extract more resources from Western partners. He also warned that Iran has technologies to neutralise the kinds of anti‑drone measures Ukraine is sharing.
The report referenced comments by Donald Trump on Fox News Radio, saying the United States did not need Ukraine’s help on drone defence—an assertion that appeared to contrast with statements from Ukrainian officials that Washington had requested assistance.
Escalatory Rhetoric
Separately, Iranian lawmaker Ibrahim Azizi suggested Ukraine’s actions could render its territory a legitimate target for Iran, citing Article 51 of the UN Charter on self‑defence. Ukraine’s foreign ministry spokesman, Georgiy Tykhyi, dismissed the claim as "absurd," likening it to "hearing a serial killer justify his crimes by citing the criminal code."
The situation underscores how the spread of drone technology has widened the conflict’s diplomatic reverberations, drawing third‑party states into new security arrangements and sparking sharp rhetoric from Tehran.
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