“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine reaffirms the unwavering position of our state: we support the Iranian people and their legitimate aspiration to live in safety, freedom and prosperity,” the ministry said in a statement.
The Foreign Ministry stressed that for decades the Iranian regime has carried out repression against its own population, used violence, violated human rights at home, supported militants who destabilized other countries in the region, and provided military assistance to Russia in its war against Ukraine.
It underscored that cooperation between Moscow and Tehran is a gross violation of international law and undermines global efforts to restore peace and stability.
“Years of systemic human rights violations, brutal repression, executions and persecution of dissenters point to a deep crisis in the state’s domestic policy and the lack of proper protection of its citizens’ fundamental rights and freedoms,” the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said.
According to the ministry, the regime has spent enormous resources on violence and chaos instead of meeting the needs of the population, whose economic situation has continued to deteriorate.
The ministry said the root cause of the current events is the regime’s violence and arbitrariness, including killings and repression of peaceful protesters, which have intensified significantly in recent months.
“We emphasize that the regime in Tehran had every opportunity to prevent a force-based scenario. It was offered avenues for diplomacy and solutions, but instead ignored these efforts and merely dragged out the process in the hope of misleading the international community,” the ministry added.
U.S.-Israeli strike on Iran
On Feb. 28, Israel carried out a preemptive strike on Iran, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said. U.S. President Donald Trump also confirmed the launch of “large-scale combat operations” and called on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to lay down its arms.
Media reports said targets included the residences of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as well as facilities from which Iran could strike Israel.
Images showed smoke rising over Tehran, and explosions were reported in five Iranian cities. Iran, in turn, launched ballistic missiles at Israel.
Israel dubbed its operation against Iran “Roaring Lion,” while the United States named its operation “Epic Fury.”