Iranian-build drones that Russia has used to hit Kyiv [Iranian Army via AP]Drones over UkraineWhen Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, Iran reiterated its “neutrality,” abstaining or voting against UN resolutions condemning the war.But Iran’s supreme leader sounded far from neutral.Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared that Washington’s “mafia regime” needed “crisis spots all over the world” and made Ukraine its “victim”.“Support by Western governments for administrations and politicians that have been installed by them is a mirage,” he said in an hour-long speech on March 1, 2022, referring to Ukraine’s pro-Western government.Four months later, Putin visited Tehran, where he heard another anti-Western barb.“In case of Ukraine, had you not shown your initiative, the other side would have started the war,” Khamenei told Putin, echoing Moscow’s narrative about NATO and the collective West that “instigated” the war.“If [NATO] had not been stopped in Ukraine, it would have started a war [with Russia], using [annexed] Crimea as a pretext,” he said.Putin seemed pleased with the remarks and replied that “the way the West behaves left Russia no other choice”.But the Russian leader was even more pleased by Iran moving from neutrality to providing direct military support, supplying Shahed (“Martyr”) drones.Known as Geran-2, the Russian Shaheds were heavily modified, and the most recent ones have jet engines or can launch small missiles at fighter jets, according to Ukraine’s military intelligence.Iran has also …
