Iran’s FM claims Ukraine attacked Iranian vessel ‘at Israel’s behest,’ promises response

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says a Ukrainian attack on an Iranian commercial vessel “cannot go unanswered.”

Yesterday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned a Ukrainian attack on an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea, saying it resulted in an explosion that killed one sailor and injured another.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine’s forces had carried out “long‑range strikes in the Caspian Sea – including vessels used in military cargo shipments involving Iran.”

Throughout the war in Ukraine, Kyiv has had to counter Iranian-designed drones deployed by Moscow. Kyiv has offered its drone interception expertise to countries in the Middle East that have suffered strikes from Iran.

Araghchi says on X that the strike was “a blatant UN Charter violation done at Israel’s behest to drag Europe into its war.” He does not offer evidence of Israeli involvement, nor explain why Ukraine would do Jerusalem’s bidding.

He adds that he “made clear” to EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in calls that “what the freeloader in Kyiv did CANNOT GO UNANSWERED.”

Tehran described the attack on its vessel as an act of aggression and said it would defend its national interests and security, while accusing Kyiv of seeking to expand the war in Ukraine.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned Ukraine’s chargé d’affaires in Tehran to convey its protest over what it described as a “hostile and criminal” attack, Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported.

The Iranian denunciation coincided with comments by Zelensky that Kyiv had noted Russia was passing on its satellite observations in the Middle East to Iran to enable it to direct strikes in the region.