Ukraine has consistently condemned Iran’s ruling regime for supporting terrorism and committing systematic human rights abuses, saying Tehran had every opportunity to avoid a military scenario through diplomacy but chose not to do so, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on Saturday, Feb. 28.
Speaking at a joint press conference in Kyiv with Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen, Sybiha said Ukraine’s position on Iran remained “consistent and unchanged.”
“The Iranian regime has for decades terrorised the region, supported and financed militant groups that spread instability abroad, and oppressed its own people,” Sybiha said, adding that Ukraine “always stands with the Iranian people.”
He said years of systemic human rights violations, harsh repression, executions and persecution of dissenters pointed to a deep internal political crisis in Iran. According to Sybiha, Tehran was repeatedly offered diplomatic avenues and opportunities to seek solutions but failed to use them.
Sybiha also said Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry had issued advance warnings urging Ukrainian citizens to leave Iran and other countries where their lives and security could be at risk.
Ukraine maintains that Iran’s cooperation with Russia, including military support for Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, constitutes a serious violation of international law and undermines global efforts to restore peace and stability. Ukraine “will never forget” the thousands of Iranian-made Shahed drones used in attacks on Ukrainian cities.
The foreign ministry said the Iranian regime had spent vast resources on violence and repression instead of improving the welfare of its population, whose economic situation has continued to deteriorate.
Sybiha reiterated that Ukraine supports the Iranian people’s right to live in safety, freedom and prosperity, as well as stability in the Middle East.
His comments came amid a sharp escalation in the region after Israel launched what it described as a pre-emptive strike on Iran on Feb. 28. Iran later reported attacks on US military facilities in Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, where American bases are located, according to media reports.
Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz said an immediate nationwide state of emergency had been declared, describing the strike on Iran as necessary to neutralise security threats. Media reports said the operation involved both Israel and the United States