UPDATE - Top Ukrainian diplomat submits proposal to break diplomatic ties with Iran

UPDATES WITH MORE REMARKS BY UKRAINIAN FOREIGN MINISTER; ADDS BACKGROUND

By Burc Eruygur

ANKARA (AA) – Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba submitted a proposal to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to sever diplomatic relations with Iran on Tuesday, as Ukraine-Iran relations became strained due to claims on Iran’s provision of drones to Russia.

"Taking into account the numerous destructions caused by Iranian drones to the civil infrastructure of Ukraine, the deaths and sufferings caused to our people, as well as in connection with the emergence of reports about the possible continuation of Iran's supply of weapons to Russia, I submit to the consideration of the President of Ukraine a proposal to sever diplomatic relations with Iran," Kuleba said at a briefing for Ukrainian media outlets.

Kuleba noted that they will take a clear position on the matter from now on, reminding that they never took an anti-Iranian position until Iran became “an accomplice to the crime of aggression of Russia on Ukrainian territory.”

He further said they will talk about the restoration of bilateral relations with Iran if Tehran halts supplying weapons to Russia.

Calling Iran's actions "lies," Kuleba said Ukraine will not tolerate this situation because “Iran did all these actions while simultaneously telling us that it is against war and will not support any of the parties with weapons.”

“Tehran bears full responsibility for the destruction of relations with Ukraine,” he emphasized.

The proposal came after a draft resolution was submitted to Ukraine's parliament earlier by lawmaker Oleksiy Goncharenko, proposing to sever diplomatic relations with Iran, and recognizing it as a "state sponsor of terrorism" amid Kyiv-Tehran tensions over claims on the provision of Iranian drones to Russia circulating in Western media outlets.

According to some media reports, citing US and European officials, Iran has agreed to supply drones and surface-to-surface missiles to Russia intended for use in the Ukraine war.

On Monday, Iran's Foreign Ministry refuted Western reports of Russia using Iranian-made drones in Ukraine during a weekly presser.

Last month, Ukraine announced that it was downgrading its ties with Tehran and stripped the Iranian envoy in Kyiv of his accreditation over what it called an "unfriendly" decision to supply Russia with drones.​​​​​​​