Iran Summons Polish Envoy Over London Display Of Captured Russian Shahed Drone

Iran summoned Poland’s ambassador in Tehran on Thursday to formally protest Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski’s participation in a UK Parliament display of a captured Shahed-136 drone allegedly used by Russia in Ukraine, according to Press TV. The diplomatic summons escalates tensions over Western accusations that Iran supplies attack drones to Moscow’s military campaign.

The protest shows how captured enemy drones have become powerful geopolitical tools beyond the battlefield—triggering formal diplomatic responses when displayed in Western capitals.

Tehran Protests “Anti-Iran Show” In British Parliament

Mahmoud Heidari, Iran’s Foreign Ministry director general for Mediterranean and Eastern European affairs, summoned Polish Ambassador Marcin Wilczek on Thursday to deliver what Tehran called a “strong protest” over the Monday event at UK Parliament’s Speaker’s Court. Heidari dismissed Sikorski’s involvement in what Iranian officials characterized as an “anti-Iran show” and rejected “baseless and repetitive accusations” about Iran’s drone program.

The exhibition, organized by United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), featured a Shahed-136 drone recovered from Ukrainian battlefields and aimed to highlight Tehran’s alleged role in enabling Russian attacks. Sikorski attended alongside UK MP Tom Tugendhat and Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle during his London visit for meetings with British officials.

Polish Minister Links Drone Display To European Security

Earlier that day, Sikorski told reporters that a recent Russian drone incursion into Polish airspace was “tactically stupid and counterproductive,” saying it had only strengthened Western resolve against Moscow. The Polish minister said the drones appeared launched deliberately from Russia and coordinated with Belarus. Russian drones violated Polish airspace in September, triggering NATO consultations under Article 4—the closest NATO has come to direct conflict with Russia since World War II.

According to Xinhua, Wilczek responded that Warsaw is keen to boost relations with Tehran and would urgently convey Iran’s protest to his government. Polish officials have not publicly commented on the summons.

Iran Denies Supplying Drones For Ukraine War

Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the London exhibition violated diplomatic norms and repeated politically motivated allegations about Iran’s role in the Ukraine conflict. Tehran maintains it sold only a limited number of drones to Russia before the invasion began and denies any ongoing military cooperation.

Western governments and Ukraine counter that Shahed-136 drones—designed in Iran and now produced domestically by Russia under the name Geran-2—have become central to Moscow’s air assault strategy. The Financial Times reported in July that modified Shaheds have tripled their success rate at hitting targets, with Russia launching over 38,000 since January 2025.

Warsaw previously cooperated with UANI and Ukrainian forces to transfer a similar drone to the United States earlier this year for display at a political conference attended by President Donald Trump, further straining Iran-Poland relations.

DroneXL’s Take

This diplomatic dust-up confirms what we’ve been tracking all year—the Shahed-136 has transcended its role as just another military drone to become a symbol of the new era of low-cost, mass-produced warfare. When displaying a captured enemy UAV in parliament triggers formal diplomatic protests from a sovereign nation, you know these $20,000 weapons have fundamentally reshaped geopolitical calculus.

What’s particularly striking is the timing. Iran issued this protest just two days after we covered the original London display, which coincided with the UK committing to produce 2,000 interceptor drones monthly through Project Octopus. Western nations aren’t just complaining about Iranian drones anymore—they’re putting them on public display while simultaneously announcing industrial-scale counter-drone production. That’s a message Tehran clearly received.

The broader question remains: Can democratic defense industries match the production economics that make Shaheds so effective? Russia is reportedly producing hundreds daily, overwhelming Ukrainian air defenses through sheer volume. The fact that Poland’s foreign minister has now twice facilitated public displays of captured Shaheds—first in Washington, now in London—suggests Western allies are using these trophy drones as rallying symbols for their own production ramp-ups.

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