Iran’s Foreign Minister Accuses Israel of Directing Ukraine’s Caspian Sea Attack

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said an attack on an Iranian commercial vessel by Ukrainian forces “cannot go unanswered,” claiming without providing evidence that the strike was carried out at Israel’s request.

Vessel Attack Details

Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the Caspian Sea attack caused an explosion that killed one sailor and injured another. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed his forces conducted long-range strikes in the Caspian Sea targeting vessels involved in military cargo shipments linked to Iran.

Araghchi’s Accusations

Writing on social media, Araghchi called the strike a “blatant UN Charter violation” he alleged was done to drag Europe into the conflict on Israel’s behalf, though he offered no explanation for why Ukraine would act on Israel’s interests. He said he had personally raised the matter with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, describing Ukraine’s actions as something that “cannot go unanswered.”

Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned Ukraine’s chargé d’affaires in Tehran to lodge a formal protest, calling the attack “hostile and criminal,” according to state news agency IRNA. Tehran framed the strike as an act of aggression and accused Kyiv of trying to widen the war. Zelensky separately said Russia has been sharing satellite intelligence on the Middle East with Iran to help direct strikes in the region.

Background Context

Throughout the Ukraine war, Kyiv has worked to counter Iranian-designed drones deployed by Russian forces and has offered drone interception expertise to Middle Eastern nations targeted by Iranian strikes.