Iran was prepared to launch strikes on three sites in Ukraine before scrapping the operation after an “apology” from Kyiv, a top military adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said Monday, Anadolu reports. In an interview with Iranian state television, Mohsen Rezaei said Iran’s armed forces had completed preparations for the strikes before the operation was called off. He also said that Iran had inflicted heavy losses on US forces during the recent 17-day conflict, adding that Iranian missile and drone attacks had thwarted Washington’s military objectives. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi later told his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha that Kyiv should compensate Tehran for the damage caused by the attack. The deal collapsed last month, however, with the US and Iran exchanging attacks for nearly two weeks.