Iran warns Ukraine of retaliation after deadly Caspian Sea strike

What the report says

Al Jazeera, citing its staff and news agencies, reported that Iran has warned Ukraine of possible consequences after a deadly strike on an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that the attack “cannot go unanswered” and described it as a breach of the UN Charter. Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the Saturday strike caused the vessel to explode, killing one sailor and wounding several others.

Tehran said it summoned Ukraine’s charge d’affaires in protest, calling the incident a hostile and criminal act. Araghchi said he discussed the matter with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and he accused Israel of encouraging the attack to widen the conflict. A senior Iranian lawmaker, Ebrahim Azizi, also suggested Ukraine could face retaliation, saying Iran does not ignore attacks against it.

Ukraine said its operation targeted a Russian warship and vessels involved in transporting military cargo linked to Iran. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine had achieved strong results with long-range strikes in the Caspian Sea, including against ships used for military shipments involving Iran. He also accused Russia of providing Iran with military support, including satellite surveillance material.

The incident adds another front of tension to the war-related confrontation between Kyiv and Tehran. Ukraine has long accused Iran of supplying Shahed drones used by Russia in attacks on Ukrainian cities, while Iran’s Foreign Ministry said it has not taken part in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Lavrov offered condolences over the sailor’s death, and Russia said Araghchi thanked authorities in Astrakhan, where the vessel had reportedly begun its journey, for helping the crew.