25 Dec 2022; MEMO: A top Ukrainian official and presidential aide has called for the "liquidation" of Iranian factories producing missiles and drones, along with other measures to be taken against them and their suppliers.
In a Twitter post today, Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak stated that Iran "blatantly humiliates the institution of international sanctions" and that it is "important to abandon nonworking sanctions" on the country and its government.
Instead, international powers must "move to more destructive tools" against Tehran's supply of drones and missiles to Moscow for its ongoing invasion of Ukraine, mentioning the "liquidation of [arms manufacturing] plants" and the "arrest of suppliers."
Iran's role in assisting Russian forces through unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) supplies first emerged a few months into the invasion, with the US claiming that Tehran was planning to supply Moscow and its forces with the hardware, and the Ukrainian government later accusing Russia of using around 400 Iranian drones to strike Ukraine's civilian infrastructure.
While Iran initially denied the reports, it subtly acknowledged its role and later openly admitted that it supplied Russia with drones but "months" before the invasion was launched. It was also revealed that Russia flew in Western weapons and $141 million in cash to Iran in return for Iranian UAVs back in August.
Podolyak did not clarify which nation, military, or organisation should take such "liquidation" measures against Iranian arms factories and their suppliers, but it is expected that he targeted Ukraine's Western allies which are currently assisting and supplying arms to Ukrainian forces in their war effort.
The extent to which Western powers would act to prevent the further supply of Iranian drones and missiles to Russia is not clear, though sanctions have been imposed on Tehran in recent weeks, and the administration of US president Joe Biden has this week launched an investigation into how American and western-made components are ending up in the Iranian-produced military drones.
