Tehran accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday of promoting anti-Iranian propaganda when he called on it to stop supplying Russia with drones, claiming that his statements aim to secure more weapons and financial assistance from Western countries.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani stated in a media report that "the repeated unfounded claims by the Ukrainian president against the Islamic Republic of Iran align with anti-Iran propaganda and the media war aimed at obtaining as much weaponry and assistance as possible from Western countries."
Kanaani added that Ukraine refuses to allow for an independent investigation into those allegations.
Zelensky had urged Iran in a video clip on Wednesday to stop sliding into "the dark side of history" resulting from its supply of drones to Moscow.
Initially, Iran denied supplying Russia with Shahed drones but later acknowledged providing a limited number before the outbreak of the Ukrainian conflict. Ukraine asserts that drones play a crucial role in Russia's attacks on cities and infrastructure.
Russia has strengthened its military cooperation with Iran since it began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. It has admitted to using Iranian-made drones but is now seeking to enhance its production of these aircraft.
