Javan newspaper, linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, has criticized the support voiced for Ukrain by many ordinary Iranians and activists on social media.

The daily said in its Monday issue that those who portrayed the Iranian government as a proponent of the Russian invasion are "Western puppets" and “extremist reformists".

The article added that they are more concerned about the fall of the US-backed government in Ukraine than the lives of the Ukrainian people.

It also described the crisis in Ukraine the result of NATO's eastward expansion that stem from “US and European sedition”.

The IRGC-linked paper called President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “a comedian and actor” who plugged his country to the abyss of a devastating war.

Many Iranians on social media have praised Zelensky, who has refused to leave Kiev in order to stiffen resistance, with some comparing him to former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani who fled the country as the US-trained army collapsed last summer when the Taliban advanced.

The debate about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues in Iran, with divisions reflecting wider disagreements among various factions over foreign policy. While reformists have been more critical of Russia, and social media has aired decidedly anti-Russian sentiments, hardliner media has sided with Russia.

Many ordinary Iranians invariably support Ukraine and condemn the government pro-Russia policies.