Ukraine's Zelenskiy says it is important that US act decisively on Iran

KYIV, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, addressing U.S. strikes in Iran on Saturday, said it was important that Washington act decisively, but also that hostilities did not escalate into a wider war.

"Whenever there is American resolve, global criminals weaken," Zelenskiy, who has previously called for the Iranian government to be overthrown, wrote on social media.

"This understanding must also come to the Russians," he added.

Tehran is a close ally of Moscow, which has been at war with Ukraine since 2022. Iran has supplied Russia with thousands of long-range Shahed drones, the designs for which have also been used to build drones in Russian factories.

Zelenskiy said Moscow had fired over 57,000 Shahed-type drones at Ukraine during the war.

"It is fair to give the Iranian people a chance to rid themselves of a terrorist regime and to guarantee security for all nations that have suffered from terror originating in Iran," he wrote, adding that it was important to preserve lives where possible.

"It is important to prevent the war from expanding. It is important that the United States is acting decisively."

(Reporting by Max Hunder; Editing by Kevin Liffey)