The leaders of Ukraine and Iran spoke at the United Nations General Assembly today amid a pair of ongoing conflicts that, although separate, have contributed to tensions between the countries. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, while Iran has been at war with the United States and Israel since late February this year. Although Tehran and kyiv are almost 1,500 miles apart as the crow flies, the wars have overlapping factors, as Iran and Russia are close strategic and military allies. Many of Russia’s strikes against Ukraine have been carried out using Iranian-made Shahed drones, and Tehran has sent missiles and other weapons to aid Moscow’s war effort. Shortly after war with Iran broke out earlier this year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky offered to help other countries, including the United States, defend themselves against Iranian drones and missiles. Around the same time, CNN reported that Russia was assisting Iran with advanced drone tactics and providing intelligence on US military positioning. Ukraine has sent drone experts to the Middle East to help its allies counter Iranian attacks, according to Zelensky. Kyiv has also signed defense agreements with Saudi Arabia and Qatar. In late July, tensions rose further when Ukraine attacked ships in the Caspian Sea involved in transporting military goods from Iran to Russia. Iran condemned the attack, which killed one person, and threatened retaliation. The next day, the foreign ministers of each country held a phone call. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stressed that his country’s actions were aimed at defending Ukraine “from Russian aggression and were never aimed at attacking ships or civilians.” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi later said that Sybiha assured him that the attack was unintentional. Kylie Atwood, Max Saltman, Nina Subkhanberdina, Natasha Bertrand, Jim Sciutto, Zachary Cohen, Jennifer Hansler, Nick Paton Walsh, Svitlana Vlasova, Victoria Butenko, Ivana Kottasová, Kosta Gak, Tim Lister, Karina Tsui, Billy Stockwell and Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this CNN report.
