TEHRAN — A senior Iranian lawmaker has warned that the Ukrainian territory could become a “legitimate target” for Iran over Kyiv’s decision to provide drone support to Israel and the U.S. in the face of their assault against the Islamic Republic, now in its third week. 

“By providing drone support to the Israeli regime, failed Ukraine has effectively become involved in the War and, under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, has turned its entire territory into a legitimate target for Iran,” Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, wrote on X.

Article 51 affirms the inherent right of every state to self- defense when under armed attack — a principle Iranian officials note applies fully as U.S. and Israeli forces continue operations against Iran.

Newly confirmed developments have intensified Tehran’s concerns. According to statements by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, teams of Ukrainian military experts have been sent to Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan to help down drones launched from Iran in retaliation for U.S.–Israeli airstrikes. Zelensky claimed Ukraine has “the greatest experience in the world in countering attack drones,” citing years of Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities.

Ukraine says the U.S. and 10 countries across West Asia and Europe have requested its assistance. None of the governments involved have publicly commented, though U.S. President Donald Trump recently said he would accept help from “any country,” including Ukraine.  Nonetheless, Trump told Fox News on Friday that the U.S. does not need Ukraine’s help with air defense in West Asia. 

Earlier, Zelensky also said senior Ukrainian security official Rustem Umerov was traveling to the Persian Gulf to prepare “concrete agreements,” insisting that Ukraine would help only those who “help Ukraine” in return — primarily through supplying Patriot and other air defense systems.

Iran views this as a coordinated attempt to blunt its retaliatory capabilities in the face of the U.S.-Israeli aggression while strengthening Western influence in the region.

Tensions escalated further after Zelensky’s meeting in Paris with the son of Iran’s deposed shah. Zelensky declared that Ukraine “wants to see a free Iran that will not cooperate with Russia,” praising Pahlavi for his “support.” 

The encounter has been dismissed as a political spectacle between two embattled figures, portraying Pahlavi as a foreign- backed stooge with no legitimacy among the Iranian people. Pahlavi is under fire by Iranians for condoning the U.S. and Israeli strikes which have claimed the lives of over 1,400 people including some 200 students since the outset of the aggression on February 28. Pahlavi has also been dismissed as a puppet in the hands of Israeli leaders.

For Tehran, the message remains clear: any state that contributes to hostile actions against Iran — whether through drones, military advisers, or political theatrics — will be treated as part of the aggression. Under Article 51, Iranian officials insist, the Islamic Republic retains full legal authority to defend itself against all participants in the conflict.