Ukraine says it is convinced Iran’s nuclear program ‘must be brought to an end’

By Anadolu staff

ISTANBUL (AA) - Ukraine said it is convinced that Iran’s nuclear program “must be brought to an end” after the US declared over the weekend that it struck three of Tehran’s nuclear facilities.

“Ukraine is convinced that Iran’s nuclear program must be brought to an end so that it never again poses a threat neither to the countries of the Middle East nor to any other state,” the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said on X late Sunday.

It said that years of efforts to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons have not yielded “effective results,” adding that the US warned Tehran “as early as this spring” about the consequences of the absence of constructive steps.

The statement argued that Iran’s “aggressive actions” and its “long-standing destructive policy aimed at undermining international peace and security” have led to the escalations currently seen.

It accused Iran of being involved in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war through its military support to Moscow, and claimed Tehran “continues to destabilize the security situation in the Middle East through its proxies, creating increasing threats to peace and stability in the region.”

“We are convinced that the measures taken by the United States and Israel against Iranian nuclear facilities have sent a clear message to the Iranian regime — a message that the continuation of policies aimed at destabilizing regional security is unacceptable,” it said.

The statement called on Iran to halt its support for Russia and underlined Kyiv’s confidence that a policy of “peace through strength” is capable of strengthening international peace and security not only in the Middle East but also in Europe.

“Ukraine has the moral right to state that the elimination of Iran's nuclear program would make the Middle East and the entire world safer,” the ministry said.

“Finally, we note that the situation in the Middle East remains extremely volatile. We join the international community in calling on all parties to de-escalate tensions in the region and prioritize diplomatic solutions at the negotiating table,” it added.

US President Donald Trump said early Sunday that his forces bombed three Iranian nuclear sites in Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan.

The attacks came as the latest escalation in a US-backed Israeli military assault on Iran since June 13, prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory attacks on Israel.

Israeli authorities said at least 25 people have been killed and hundreds injured since then in Iranian missile attacks.

Meanwhile, in Iran, 430 people have been killed and more than 3,500 wounded in the Israeli assault, according to the Iranian Health Ministry.