On Tuesday, October 14, 2025, a diplomatic storm erupted in London when Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski presented an Iranian-made drone to the UK Parliament. Sikorski alleged that the drone was being used by Russia in its ongoing war in Ukraine, and he urged lawmakers to continue supporting Kiev in the face of mounting aggression. The event quickly drew international attention and set off a chain reaction that reverberated from London to Tehran.
According to reports from MNA and corroborated by multiple sources, Sikorski's dramatic gesture was intended to underscore the dangers of Iranian technology allegedly falling into Russian hands. During his address, he called for unwavering support for Ukraine, framing the drone as "evidence" of Tehran's involvement in the conflict. The move was met with swift condemnation from Iranian officials, who have consistently denied supplying Moscow with drones, ballistic missiles, or related military technology for use in the war.
Just two days later, on Thursday, October 16, 2025, Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned Poland’s chargé d'affaires in Tehran, Marcin Wilczek, to formally protest Sikorski’s statements. The meeting was led by Mahmoud Heidari, assistant to the Iranian foreign minister and director general of Mediterranean and Eastern European affairs. Heidari did not mince words, describing Sikorski’s actions as an "anti-Iran show" and dismissing his remarks as "meddlesome" and "baseless." Heidari also expressed regret over what he called the repetition of "clichéd claims," and conveyed Iran’s strong protest to the Polish diplomat.
During the tense exchange, Wilczek attempted to smooth over the diplomatic rift by emphasizing Warsaw’s desire to maintain and even strengthen relations with Tehran. He assured Heidari that he would urgently relay Iran’s protest to his government. Despite these assurances, the incident highlighted the deep suspicion and mistrust that continues to color relations between Iran and Western-aligned nations, especially in the context of the Ukraine conflict.
Both Iran and Russia have repeatedly rejected allegations that Tehran has supplied Moscow with drones, ballistic missiles, or related technology for use in Ukraine. These denials have done little to quell Western concerns, which have been fueled by both official statements and open-source intelligence pointing to a broader pattern of Iranian involvement in regional and global conflicts.
Meanwhile, new developments within Iran’s own military establishment have added another layer of complexity to the situation. According to open-source indications, Seyed Jabar Hosseini, born in 1955, may have been appointed as the new commander of Unit 190 in the Quds Force. This appointment reportedly follows the targeted killing of the unit’s previous commander, Behnam Shahriari, who was eliminated in a precision airstrike on June 21, 2025, while traveling in western Iran.
Unit 190 is a shadowy and highly influential branch of the Quds Force, Iran’s elite foreign operations arm. Its primary mission is the smuggling of weapons, funds, and personnel around the world, often in support of allied militant groups and proxy forces. According to multiple sources, Unit 190 is also deeply involved in Iran’s oil-smuggling apparatus, further complicating efforts to track its activities and disrupt its networks.
The range of weaponry transferred by Unit 190 is staggering. It includes everything from small arms and machine guns to explosives, UAVs, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and air-defense systems. In recent years, the unit has been linked to the transfer of weapons and funds to Shiite militias in Iraq and Syria, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, Palestinian organizations in Gaza and the West Bank, the Polisario Front in Western Sahara, and various groups across Africa, Asia, and even Venezuela in Central America.
To evade detection and obscure its ties to the Iranian state, Unit 190 employs a dizzying array of tactics. These include the use of front companies and civilian firms, third-party intermediaries, false registrations, and a variety of smuggling routes by air, sea, and land. The unit is known to work closely with Section 8000 of the Quds Force, which handles the production and supply of weapons to proxies, and Unit 700, which manages transportation and transfers. Together, these three units form the backbone of Iran’s military support for Hezbollah’s ongoing reconstruction efforts following the recent war.
Past intelligence reports have revealed that Unit 190 frequently makes use of civilian merchant vessels and commercial flights operated by Iranian companies. In some cases, weapons are hidden inside shipments of innocuous goods, or even disguised as medical equipment or humanitarian aid. This elaborate system of deception has allowed Iran to continue its support for allied groups while maintaining plausible deniability on the international stage.
The diplomatic spat between Poland and Iran over the alleged use of Iranian drones in Ukraine is just the latest flashpoint in a broader struggle over influence, arms proliferation, and proxy warfare. While Sikorski’s presentation of the drone in London was intended to galvanize support for Ukraine, it also served to highlight the complex web of alliances and enmities that define the modern geopolitical landscape.
For their part, both Iran and Russia remain steadfast in their denials. Iranian officials have repeatedly characterized Western accusations as politically motivated and lacking in concrete evidence. Russian spokespeople have similarly dismissed claims of Iranian arms transfers as "disinformation" designed to justify continued Western involvement in the Ukraine conflict.
Yet, for many observers, the circumstantial evidence is difficult to ignore. The activities of Unit 190 and its sister units suggest a well-organized, state-sponsored campaign to arm and finance proxy groups across multiple continents. The unit’s involvement in oil smuggling and its use of commercial cover further complicate efforts by Western governments to isolate and contain Iran’s influence.
As the war in Ukraine grinds on, the stakes for all parties continue to rise. For Ukraine and its supporters, the specter of advanced Iranian weaponry on the battlefield is a sobering reminder of the global dimensions of the conflict. For Iran, the ongoing accusations threaten to undermine its diplomatic efforts and further isolate it from the international community.
In the end, the confrontation between Poland and Iran over the alleged drone transfer may be just one episode in a much larger story—a story of shifting alliances, covert operations, and the relentless pursuit of strategic advantage in an increasingly unstable world.
