Tehran has alleged that Ukraine carried out an attack on an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea. The attack caused an explosion on board, resulting in the death of one sailor and injuries to another.
According to Iran’s state news agency IRNA, the attack took place yesterday, Saturday. Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned Ukraine’s Chargé d’Affaires in Tehran to lodge a protest over the incident.
The ministry claims that the Ukrainian leadership has admitted to the attack. Tehran views this as a continuation of Kyiv’s “irrational and hostile” policy toward Iran. At the same time, Iran has warned that it will take necessary measures to protect its national interests.
“Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has called upon the UN Security Council, the European Union, and the international community to respond strongly to this incident. He also demanded that those involved in the attack and their supporters be held accountable.”
Iran asserts that this attack violates Article 2(4) of the UN Charter. It has raised concerns about the potential for the Russia-Ukraine war to escalate further.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also discussed the matter over the phone with Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s foreign policy chief.
In a statement released on Telegram, Araghchi’s office said he strongly condemned the Ukrainian attack on the commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea. He urged the UN Security Council, the European Union, and the international community to respond firmly to the incident and demanded accountability for the perpetrators and their backers.
What Zelenskyy Said
Al Jazeera’s Tehran correspondent, Touhid Asadi, noted that the attack on the Iranian ship in the Caspian Sea—occurring amidst US blockades in the Strait of Hormuz—has placed new pressure on Tehran. He stated that the attack in the Caspian Sea would impose additional strain on Iran’s maritime trade.
Condemning the incident, Iran’s Foreign Ministry stated that Tehran has never interfered in the Russia-Ukraine war. In a post on the social media platform X, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine had achieved a “very significant success” in a long-range strike in the Caspian Sea. The attack targeted a warship and a vessel used to transport Iranian-linked military equipment.
However, Zelenskyy did not specify the name of the commercial vessel that Iran alleged had been attacked.
“Ukraine has also offered drone defense systems and technical assistance to Gulf nations facing potential Iranian attacks. To this end, Kyiv has dispatched drone defense experts to Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait.”
In another statement, Zelenskyy alleged that Russia had supplied Iran with satellite imagery of several Gulf nations and US military installations in the region. He claimed that surveillance was conducted over airbases in Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait on July 19 and 20.
Relations between Tehran and Kyiv deteriorated after Iran sold Shahed drones to Russia in 2022. Ukraine alleges that Russia modified these drones to carry out thousands of attacks on various Ukrainian cities.
Kyiv claims to have shot down more than 44,000 Iranian-designed drones since the onset of the Russian invasion.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has offered drone defense systems and technical assistance to Gulf nations facing potential Iranian attacks. To this end, Kyiv has dispatched drone defense experts to Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait.
