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Iran’s military said Saturday it had targeted a Ukrainian anti-drone system depot in the United Arab Emirates that it claimed was used to assist U.S. forces.
“As the hideouts of American commanders and soldiers in Dubai were targeted... a Ukrainian anti-drone system depot that was located in Dubai to assist the U.S. military... was targeted and destroyed,” Iran’s military central operational command Khatam Al-Anbiya said in a statement carried by state TV.
No further details were immediately available.
Meanwhile, Kyiv on Saturday denied Iran's claim that Tehran had targeted and destroyed a Ukrainian anti-drone system depot in the UAE, calling it a "lie" and "disinformation."
"This is a lie, we officially refute this information. The Iranian regime often conducts such disinformation operations, and in this it is no different from the Russians," Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesman Georgiy Tykhy told reporters.
Earlier on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during an unannounced visit to the UAE that the two countries had agreed to cooperate on defense.
Zelenskyy’s unannounced visit to the UAE came a day after he announced a defense agreement with Saudi Arabia, signed as Gulf countries face Iranian drones launched by Tehran in retaliation for U.S.-Israeli strikes.
Kyiv has sought to leverage its experience in downing Russian drones to help Gulf nations and has deployed anti-drone experts to the region, including to the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Zelenskyy also said Friday that Kyiv expects Middle Eastern countries to assist with diesel supplies in exchange for help countering Shahed missiles from Iran.
He told the Ukraine-based ICTV channel that during his visit to the Middle East, he is “closing the issue” of diesel supplies to Kyiv.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine is providing Middle Eastern countries with expertise to protect civilian infrastructure and civilians, underlining that the “main challenge” for the region remains protection against Iranian drones despite their significant air defense systems.
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Earlier this month, Zelenskyy said that 201 Ukrainian anti-drone military experts were in or on their way to the Middle East to help the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
The announcements came as Iran continued to launch strikes against Israel and U.S. interests in the Gulf since the war began on Feb. 28.
Iran accuses its Gulf neighbors of allowing U.S. forces to carry out attacks from their territory, but Gulf states have repeatedly denied the accusations, saying even before the war that they would not allow their territory or airspace to be used to attack Iran.
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