Overview
- The remarks were made in a CNN interview with Fareed Zakaria, with an excerpt aired Saturday.
- Zelenskyy said it was “100% facts” that Iranian forces used Russian-made Shaheds to attack U.S. bases.
- News reports presenting the comments noted they were assertions by Zelenskyy and not independently corroborated.
- Shahed-class drones were pioneered by Iran and have been launched in large numbers by Russia in Ukraine since 2022, with Russia now manufacturing its own versions.
- Regional attacks have featured Shahed-type systems, though identifying the exact manufacturer or transfer chain in specific strikes is often difficult.