- January 31, 2026
- 8:07 pm
- World News
When Israel talks about Iran, it is not about theoretical risks or analysts’ hypotheses. It is about an adversary. A state that has been building military infrastructure around Israel for years, openly threatens its destruction, and arms those who are already fighting.
For Ukrainian society, Iran long remained something distant. A background. A regional problem not directly related to the war against Russia. This perception turned out to be mistaken. Today, Iran is an active participant in the war against Ukraine and simultaneously a key enemy of Israel.
And these are not two different conflicts.
This is one line of threat, just stretched across different maps.
In recent months, the US, Israel, and allies have noticeably increased pressure on Tehran. Military maneuvers, force deployments, controlled leaks in Western media — all these are elements of a coercion strategy. The goal is obvious: to force Iran to make concessions on its nuclear program and regional expansion.
Meanwhile, there is a tough debate within the West itself. Some political elites fear an oil crisis and a regional explosion. The Strait of Hormuz remains a critical point of the global economy. Any blockade of it will instantly hit markets, fuel prices, and the internal stability of Western countries. That is why calls for a “diplomatic solution” are being heard again.
But Israel knows too well how such formulations usually end.
Iran has been using negotiations as a tool to buy time for decades. Under talks of deals, the regime strengthens military programs, develops proxy networks, and prepares for the next stage of confrontation. This is not theory or alarmism. This is proven practice.
Today, Tehran openly threatens strikes on American bases and US allies. Primarily in Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen. Pro-Iranian structures have been restored after previous strikes, and the mechanisms of power transfer in the Iranian leadership have been brought to combat readiness. The regime is preparing not for compromise but for prolonged confrontation.
And Ukraine is already marked as a target in this scenario.
After the Davos Forum, Kyiv publicly sided with the opponents of the Iranian regime. President Volodymyr Zelensky directly stated: the mass killings of protesters in Iran and the West’s passivity create a dangerous signal — if you kill enough people, you can retain power. This signal was heard far beyond Europe.
Tehran reacted irritably. But something else is much more painful for it.
Iran has long ceased to be just a “regional player” for Ukraine. It has become a supplier of weapons for Russia. Iranian drones systematically attack Ukrainian cities. Iranian missiles are the subject of negotiations with the Kremlin. This is no longer a diplomatic conflict or an ideological dispute. This is a war through a proxy.
To understand the scale of the threat, it is important to remember: the Iranian missile program did not arise by itself.
In the 1990s, Ukraine and Iran found themselves in similar positions. Both countries were in isolation, under sanctions, with ruined economies and limited external connections. Iran was one of the first to recognize Ukraine’s independence. Projects in the fields of oil, gas, and nuclear energy were discussed.
Ukrainian engineers worked on the construction of the Bushehr nuclear power plant. Kharkiv’s “Turboatom” was supposed to supply turbines. Hundreds of Ukrainian specialists participated in Iranian projects. It was a period of pragmatic cooperation — without illusions, but also without hostility.
Then big geopolitics intervened.
Under US pressure, Ukraine withdrew from Iranian projects, hoping for access to Western technologies. These expectations were never realized. For Iran, it looked like direct betrayal. For Ukraine, it was a strategic miscalculation, the consequences of which echoed years later.
The key turning point came later when the story of the Kh-55 cruise missiles surfaced.
Bypassing sanctions, with the mediation of Russian structures, Iran received Ukrainian missiles. This was a gross violation of agreements and a blow to Ukraine’s international reputation. But more importantly: it was on this basis that Iran was able to launch its own cruise missile program.
These are the very systems that Tehran threatens Israel with today and which, according to Western media, may be used or transferred to Russia for strikes on Ukraine.
The figures in this story died, disappeared, or ended up in Russia. The traces were cleaned up. The mechanics are too familiar — they fully correspond to the methods of Russian special services. Iran was not the only player in this scheme but became the ultimate beneficiary.
The final point was set in January 2020, when Iranian air defense shot down a UIA passenger plane. 176 people died, including the Ukrainian crew. Iran admitted guilt but did not bear real responsibility. From that moment, relations became hostile not in words, but in essence.
After 2022, everything became finally clear.
Today, Iran and Russia act as allies. One produces weapons and technologies. The other uses them against Ukraine. Meanwhile, Iran is preparing for direct confrontation with Israel, expanding its proxy network and increasing its missile potential.
These are not two different conflicts. This is one front, stretched from the Middle East to Eastern Europe.
That is why the Iranian issue is not a “foreign war” for either Israel or Ukraine. It is a matter of common security. Iran is a systemic adversary, not a temporary problem on the international agenda.
In the midst of this knot of interests and mistakes, a conclusion that is hard to ignore is becoming increasingly clear: as long as the regime in Tehran remains in its current form, the threat will grow. For Israel — directly. For Ukraine — through Russia.
And in this context, the position consistently voiced by НАновости — Новости Израиля | Nikk.Agency is becoming increasingly obvious: the Israeli and Ukrainian fronts have long been connected. An Iranian missile does not distinguish targets by language or flag. It flies to where it sees weakness.
Ignoring this connection means once again allowing time to work against oneself.
