Poland swats away Iran criticism of drone transfer

Poland helped put an Iranian Shahed-136 drone on display in Washington and the United Nations to expose Tehran's destabilizing activities, Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski told Iran International, dismissing the Islamic Republic's objections.

"The first credit for bringing this evidence here goes to the brave soldiers of Ukraine, who shot down this missile," Sikorski said, standing next to the drone on the sidelines of a UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine.

Iran’s foreign ministry on Monday said it has summoned Poland’s chargé d'affaires in Tehran following Sikorski's criticism of Iran and Russia's military cooperation amid the latter's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Semi-official IMNA news agency reported that the summons followed Sikorski’s role in facilitating the transfer of an Iranian-made drone from Ukraine to the US for display at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).

"We just helped Ukraine to get it out of Ukraine and to bring it here, for the world to see that Iran is still exporting its destabilization, it's trying to export its ideology," Sikorski added.

Despite evidence to the contrary, Tehran has repeatedly denied its provision of drones to Russia for its war on Ukraine, which has seen Iran levied with heavy sanctions from countries such as the UK, US and EU.

Following the exhibition, Iran’s Mission in the United Nations said, “There is no legal prohibition on its sale.”

Addressing Iranian authorities, Sikorski added, "This is a warning. We know what you're doing. It is cruel against the principles of the UN Charter.

"Stop doing it now."

Sikorski made the remarks during an exhibition organized by United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI). UANI first unveiled the drone during the CPAC meeting last week.

"Many, many hundreds of people have already died from the use of this imprecise, indiscriminate weapon. We believe over 7,000 have already been launched against Ukraine," Sikorski said.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the Shahed-136 drone is considered the most widely used military drone in the world, manufactured in Iran's military industries under the supervision of the IRGC, which designated as a terrorist organization by the United States.

Russian forces have used thousands of these drones—rebranded as Geran-2—in Ukraine, with one striking Chernobyl’s radiation containment shelter earlier this month.

Iranian-backed militants also launched a Shahed that killed three US service members in Jordan in January.

UANI CEO Mark D. Wallace unveiled the Shahed-136 drone alongside CPAC Chairman Matt Schlapp.

Speaking to Iran International, Wallace described the drone as "the most ubiquitous WMD terror weapon of our time," citing its extensive use across the Middle East.

"This system has been fired at and killed American troops and service members across the Middle East," Wallace said. "It's been fired on Israel from Iran. It's been fired against Saudi Arabia's oil facilities. It's been fired against the Arab Emirates, including the iconic skyscraper, the Burj Khalifa."

The United States first warned in July 2022 that Iran was preparing to supply Russia with battlefield drones, and September 13 marked the anniversary of the first Shahed drone being shot down by Ukraine.

Russia soon began large scale use of the Iranian drones in attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure and civilian targets. The Shahed 136 drones have been used alongside cruise and ballistic missile attacks to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses.

‘CPAC for Iranians in Exile’

Following the drone unveiling, CPAC and UANI announced the formation of "CPAC for Iranians in Exile," a platform designed to unite the Iranian diaspora against the Islamic Republic.

Wallace emphasized the need for unity, saying, "The civil and collegial discussion amongst Iranian diaspora members of diverse views, backgrounds and heritage is the Ayatollah’s greatest fear."

According to UANI, the group aims to provide a space for dialogue and engagement with US policymakers, focusing on ending the "Ayatollah's despotic rule."

Wallace expressed hope that the event would mark "the beginning of a new era" for the Iranian diaspora, fostering unity and cooperation in their fight for a free and democratic Iran.