Zelensky has once again accused Iran of supplying Russia with combat drones for the war in Ukraine, and urged Tehran to reconsider the supply of the UAVs to Moscow in order to stop its slide into "the dark side of history".

Iranian officials say Tehran has had defense cooperation with Moscow for many years but it did not support the war on Ukraine nor has it given any Iranian-made military equipment to Russia for use in the war against Kyiv.

On Saturday, Kana'ani once again rejected unfounded accusations over the delivery of weapons to Russia for use in the Ukraine war, and stressed that Tehran has not and will not supply arms to either side of the conflict.

The spokesperson denounced Zelensky’s anti-Tehran remarks as an attempt to pin the blame on others and divert public opinion. He stressed that such a "political show" with groundless claims is "worthless".

"Iran has always expressed its opposition to the war in Ukraine and its continuation and feels sympathy for the pains and miseries of the Ukrainian people," the senior diplomat underlined.

He underscored that Tehran stresses the need for a political solution to end the war between Russia and Ukraine in the shortest time possible and is prepared to contribute to such a solution.

“The repetition of the Ukrainian president’s bogus claims against Tehran is to the accompaniment of the propaganda and media warfare that the anti-Iran axis has waged against the Iranian government and nation, and takes place with the purpose of attracting more arms and financial supports from the Western countries,” Kana'ani continued.

The spokesperson stressed that the political shows against Iran will not change the realities of the war, expressing Tehran’s readiness to proceed with expert negotiations with Kyiv.

“The fact that the Ukrainian side dodges the expert negotiations with the Iranian side in order to discuss the claims reveals that they (Ukraine’s claims) are groundless and that there are specific political objectives and motives behind such accusations against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he concluded.

The United States and its European allies have in recent months accused Tehran of providing Moscow with drones to be used in the war in Ukraine. Both Iran and Russia have vehemently denied the accusations.

Tehran has repeatedly asked Kiev to submit evidence for the use of Iranian-made UAVs by Russia in the Ukraine war, but the Zelensky government has so far provided no proof.

Iranian officials have reiterated that Tehran will not help either side in the Russia-Ukraine crisis, and cautioned that arming Moscow or Kyiv will prolong the conflict between the two neighbors.

FM: Iran Supports Ukraine's Sovereignty, Territorial Integrityhttps://t.co/o816UltGYA pic.twitter.com/X3kM57g0Fp

— Fars News Agency (@EnglishFars) April 26, 2023

Back in mid-March, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei dismissed Tehran's involvement in the war as sheer lie.

“We categorically deny any presence in the Ukraine war. And such a thing is not true at all,” he stressed.

Ayatollah Khamenei also referred to the US role in the Ukraine war, stating that America waged the Ukraine war in order to expand NATO to the East.

"And now while the people of Ukraine are in trouble and grappling with problems, America and its weapons manufacturing companies are making the most of this war in terms of profits. And for this reason, they stand in the way of the necessary things to end this war," he added.

Iranian Presdient Seyed Ebrahim Rayeesi has also cautioned in September that the expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is a serious threat to the stability and security of nations.

The Iranian president described NATO's expansionist policies as one of the causes of insecurity in different parts of the world and stated, "As foreign policy thinkers, advise politicians and statesmen so that the people of different parts of the world do not bear the cost of their mistakes".

Russia sent troops to Ukraine in February 2022, citing the need to protect the people of Donbass and Kiev’s failure to implement the 2014-2015 Minsk peace accords. President Vladimir Putin stated that Moscow had no plans of occupying Ukrainian territories.

The US, the EU, the UK and a number of other states have imposed sanctions against Russian legal entities and individuals. Russia has officially become the most sanctioned country in the world, surpassing Iran, Syria and North Korea, after launching a military operation against Ukraine. They also increased supplies of weapons to the Ukrainian authorities.