Iran condemns Ukrainian presidential advisor remarks as suspicious, provocative

Nasser Kanaani called on the Ukrainian government to give an official and clear explanation about his comments.

In a twitter post, Mykhailo Podolyak a senior advisor to Ukraine’s president had implied that his country participated in the attack that tried to target a defense ministry workshop in Isfahan, central Iran.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman added that the Islamic Republic of Iran, while heeding the recognized principles of international law, stresses the need for the protection of its national security and the preservation of its interests.

Kanaani stressed that the Islamic Republic of Iran reserves the legitimate and legal right to respond in kind to any party involved in acts that would violate international law.

The Iranian foreign ministry on Monday summoned Ukraine’s charge d’affaires in Tehran to protest comments by the top Ukrainian presidential advisor.

Podolyak’s remarks were made in time with similar comments by Israeli officials.

Meanwhile, in reaction to the developments, Iran’s Nour News website, which is affiliated with the country’s Supreme National Security Council, published a report in which it warned of the “heavy cost” Kiev will have to pay for Podolyak’s remarks, unless it openly rejects the stance.

Nour News said the comments entail “considerable legal consequences.”

The report said, regardless of whether the comments are true, taking up such a “vengeful” stance by a Ukrainian official shows the common strategy Kiev is adopting, in coordination with Israel, against the security of Iran.

Iran’s Defense Ministry announced on Sunday that a quadcopter drone attack on a defense industrial complex in the central city of Isfahan has failed.

The Ministry added that one of the three drones participating in the operation was downed and two others exploded. It said the attack had no casualties.