Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that US and Israeli strikes on Iran have created an opportunity for the Iranian people to oust the "terrorist regime" in Tehran, Russia's ally.
Ukraine, fighting off Russia's full-scale invasion since 2022, has repeatedly accused Iran of providing Moscow with weapons -- including the Shahed drones and short-range missiles -- for its offensive.
"It is only fair to give the Iranian people a chance to get rid of the terrorist regime, to get rid of it and guarantee the safety of all nations that have suffered from terror originating in Iran," Zelensky said in a video address on social media.
"It is important that the United States is determined. And whenever America is determined, global criminals weaken," Zelensky said.
He added that Russia has used "more than 57,000 Shahed-type strike drones against Ukraine -- against our people, against our cities, against our energy sector."
"Although Ukrainians have never threatened Iran, the Iranian regime chose to be Putin's accomplice," Zelensky said.
Earlier on Saturday Kyiv said the Iranian government's "violence against its own people and other countries" had triggered the US and Israeli attacks.
"The reason for the current events is precisely the violence and arbitrariness of the Iranian regime, in particular the murders and repressions against peaceful protesters, which have become particularly large-scale in recent months," Ukraine's foreign ministry said in a statement.
© Agence France-Presse
