Iran is threatening Ukraine with a response following a suspected attack on an Iranian merchant vessel in the Caspian Sea. Tehran accused Kyiv of an “act of aggression” and said it would defend its national interests and security.
Ebrahim Azizi, head of the Iranian parliament’s national security committee, published a post on X containing threats against Kyiv.
“An attack on Iran has never gone and will never go unpunished — America and the Zionist regime know this very well. Ukraine, too, will soon understand that the Islamic Republic of Iran does not leave debts unpaid. The list of defeated forces is getting longer,” Azizi wrote.
Earlier, Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused Ukraine of allegedly attacking the country’s merchant vessel in the Caspian Sea.
According to Reuters, Tehran said the attack took place early in the morning on July 25. An explosion occurred on board the vessel, killing one sailor and injuring another.
The Iranian side called the incident an “act of aggression” and a violation of Article 2(4) of the UN Charter. Iran’s Foreign Ministry also said that the incident could lead to a further expansion of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Following the attack, Iran’s foreign ministry summoned Ukraine’s chargé d’affaires in Tehran and delivered a protest over what it described as a “hostile and criminal” attack. Tehran said it would defend its national interests and security and would hold Kyiv and its allies responsible for the consequences of the Ukrainian leadership’s so-called “adventurism.”
Earlier, on the afternoon of July 25, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported “very good results” from long-range operations in the Caspian Sea. According to him, vessels involved in transporting military cargo as part of cooperation with Iran, as well as a warship, were struck. At the same time, Zelenskyy did not name the specific vessel referred to by the Iranian side.
In an interview, a Sky News correspondent asked Zelenskyy whether he feared a possible Iranian attack on Ukraine, noting that Tehran had issued threats over the attack on its vessel.
In response, Zelenskyy recalled that since the beginning of the full-scale war, Tehran had supplied Russia with thousands of Shahed attack drones and later with licences to produce them.
“Iranians and North Koreans have already attacked us,” Zelenskyy said.
According to him, Ukraine must be prepared for any development, while at the same time doing everything possible to prevent the opening of a new front.
Zelenskyy separately spoke about China’s cooperation with Russia in the field of satellites and technology. According to him, such assistance enables the Russian military to attack Ukraine more accurately. The president also noted that Iran could provide Russia with missiles that Moscow would use against Ukraine.
