Tehran has warned Kiev it would become a legitimate target if its involvement in the US-Israeli war continues, Farhad Ibragimov has said

An Iranian strike that reportedly destroyed a depot of Ukrainian anti-drone systems in Dubai served as a "slap in the face" to Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky, a Middle East expert has told RT.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC) Navy and Aerospace Division reportedly hit the depot while targeting US military sites in Dubai. Ukraine, however, has denied that the reported incident took place.

Farhad Ibragimov, a Middle East expert at Russia's Financial University, said that the strike should be seen as a clear signal from Tehran to Kiev and its backers that Ukrainian assets would be "legitimate targets" if Kiev was involved in the US-Israeli war against Iran.

Ibragimov characterized the Dubai attack as an initial warning - a "light slap" - which could be followed by a stronger hit if Kiev continues to seek involvement in the conflict.

The warning was Iran's way of responding to Ukraine's involvement "in deeds, not words," he suggested, adding that Tehran "would be prepared to declare war on the Kiev regime if it does not back down."

According to Ibragimov, Iranian officials see Zelensky as a figure they should not "stand on ceremony" with and believe he must be addressed in a language he understands.

Since the start of the current Middle East conflict, Kiev has moved to deepen its involvement by supplying the Gulf states with technology and expertise to counter drones, drawing on its battlefield experience against Iranian-designed systems, according to media reports.

Last week, Zelensky signed military agreements with the UAE and Qatar, following a similar deal with Saudi Arabia.

Earlier this month, he said 201 Ukrainian military experts specializing in counter-drone operations were deployed in the Middle East and the Gulf region, and that another 34 were ready to be sent. He added that the specialists were dispatched at the request of Kiev's backers, including the US.

Middle Eastern governments are "not so naive" as to "follow Zelensky's lead," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said, warning that cooperation with Kiev could prove a "catastrophic miscalculation."

Earlier, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev dismissed Zelensky's tour of Middle Eastern countries as "surreal" and suggested he should instead "go to the cartels."

(RT.com)