Tehran summoned the Ukrainian chargé d'affaires after an Iranian merchant ship exploded in the Caspian Sea, killing one sailor and injuring another. Ukraine claims long-range strikes in the area, without confirming that it targeted this specific vessel.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned the Ukrainian chargé d'affaires in Tehran on Saturday to protest what it called a "hostile and criminal" attack on an Iranian merchant ship in the Caspian Sea. The explosion killed one sailor and injured another, according to the official IRNA news agency.
Tehran claims that the attack was acknowledged by the Ukrainian leadership and denounces Kyiv's "irrational and hostile approach" towards Iran. The ministry warned that Iran would defend its national interests, while also characterizing the incident as a violation of Article 2(4) of the UN Charter, which could exacerbate and broaden the Russo-Ukrainian conflict.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi contacted EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas to express his condemnation. He called for "a firm response from the UN Security Council, the European Union, and the international community," as well as for the prosecution of "the perpetrators and supporters of this criminal act," according to a statement released on Telegram.
On the Ukrainian side, the president Volodymyr Zelensky It was announced on X that Kyiv had achieved "very good results" thanks to long-range strikes in the Caspian Sea, targeting "ships used for military cargo involving Iran, as well as a warship." It did not mention the merchant vessel designated by Tehran.
These strikes come amid escalating maritime tensions for Iran. The country faces a US blockade on its southern coast, and the attacks on its northern coast are putting "additional pressure" on its maritime trade, according to a correspondent in Tehran.
Relations between Tehran and Kyiv have deteriorated since 2022, when Iran sold Russia the Shahed drones, which Moscow has since adapted and launched by the thousands against Ukrainian cities. Ukraine claims to have shot down more than 44,000 of these drones since the start of the Russian invasion. Kyiv has also deployed anti-drone specialists to Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait—Gulf countries targeted by Iran during the US-Iran conflict.
Zelensky also claimed that Russia was transmitting satellite images of US military bases and Gulf countries, including airfields in Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait, to Iran during surveillance operations conducted on July 19 and 20.
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