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Ukraine has strongly condemned a threat issued by Iran suggesting that Kyiv could become a legitimate target over its alleged involvement in providing drone support to Israel.

The controversy began after Iranian lawmaker Ebrahim Azizi claimed that Ukraine had effectively entered the conflict in the Middle East by assisting what he described as the “Israeli regime” with drone technology.

In a post shared on X, Azizi, who heads Iran’s parliamentary committee on national security and foreign policy, warned that Ukraine had turned its territory into a “legitimate target” for Iran due to its supposed support for Israel in the ongoing tensions.

Ukraine swiftly rejected the accusation, accusing Tehran of hypocrisy and reminding the international community of Iran’s military support to Russia since the beginning of the war. Kyiv said Iran has been enabling attacks on Ukrainian civilians by supplying drones and military technology to Moscow.

A spokesperson for Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry, Heorhii Tykhyi, described Iran’s remarks as “absurd,” saying it was ironic for a country accused of fueling Russia’s aggression to now invoke international law. He compared the justification to “a serial killer citing the criminal code to defend their crimes.”

Ukraine has developed significant expertise in countering drone attacks since Russia launched its invasion in 2022. Moscow has deployed thousands of Iranian-made Shahed drones during the war, forcing Kyiv to rapidly advance its air-defense and interception technologies.

According to Ukrainian officials, more than ten countries have already sought Kyiv’s assistance in countering the Shahed drones amid growing security concerns in the Middle East. European leaders have also praised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for sharing expertise in drone interception and air-defense strategies.

Meanwhile, tensions in the region continue to escalate. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has reportedly warned the United States to evacuate American-owned industrial facilities across parts of the region. The warning also urged civilians living near factories linked to U.S. companies to leave such areas for their safety.

In a related development, a Giraffe 1X radar system used for counter-drone and short-range air defense was reportedly affected during an attack targeting the United States Embassy Baghdad in Baghdad on Saturday, further raising concerns about the widening scope of the conflict.