Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi lashed out at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over his call for foreign aggression against Iran, stating the world has had enough of “confused clowns.”
In a post on X on Friday, Araghchi slammed Zelensky for “openly and unashamedly” calling for an unlawful US aggression against Iran. Noting that such aggression would be a clear violation of the UN Charter, the minister also pointed to what he described as the Ukrainian president’s hypocrisy.
Zelensky, he maintained, “has been rinsing American and European taxpayers to fill the pockets of his corrupt generals and to confront what he calls an unlawful aggression in violation of the UN Charter.”
“The world has had enough of Confused Clowns, Mr. Zelensky,” he wrote.
“Unlike your foreign-backed and mercenary-infested military, we Iranians know how to defend ourselves and have no need to beg foreigners for help,” the minister added.
The comments came after Zelensky, speaking in Davos on Thursday, called for more decisive US action against Iran. This followed the start of foreign-backed riots in Iran less than two weeks prior.
.@ZelenskyyUa has been rinsing American and European taxpayers to fill the pockets of his corrupt generals and to confront what he calls an unlawful aggression in violation of the UN Charter.
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) January 23, 2026
At the same time, he openly and unashamedly calls for unlawful U.S. aggression against… pic.twitter.com/a8wWmXzWno
Late last month, widespread economic hardship compounded by years of Western sanctions sparked peaceful protests by merchants across Tehran and other cities. Iranian authorities initially acknowledged the legitimacy of some demands but later said the demonstrations were hijacked by U.S.- and Israeli-backed rioters aiming to incite violence and disorder.
Iran’s Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs reported that 3,117 people died during the unrest, including 2,427 civilians and security personnel, noting that many innocents were killed by organized terrorist elements. According to a statement by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, the peak of the violence occurred on January 8 and 9, when attackers carried out “Daesh-style crimes,” including beheadings, stabbings, and burning people alive, alongside systematic assaults on bazaars, shops, banks, mosques, hospitals, ambulances, and other public infrastructure.
Meanwhile, the Iranian minister’s criticism aligns with persistent corruption challenges in Ukraine, which has long struggled with entrenched graft even amid its war with Russia. Investigations by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office uncovered a major scheme linked to Energoatom, the state nuclear energy company, that allegedly siphoned about $100 million in kickbacks from government contracts. The scandal implicated several high-level officials, leading to resignations and criminal charges.
Other high-profile cases, including bribery involving former Supreme Court head Vsevolod Kniaziev, continue to draw domestic and international attention as Ukraine seeks continued Western support.
Source: Iranian media (translated and edited by Al-Manar)