Iran’s Foreign Minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, strongly criticized Ukraine for attacking an Iranian commercial ship in the Caspian Sea, stating that such actions “cannot go unanswered.” Araghchi accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of violating the UN Charter to involve Europe in a conflict at Israel’s behest.
He emphasized the gravity of the situation during phone conversations with European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Araghchi urged the EU, UN Security Council, and the international community to hold the perpetrators and supporters of the attack accountable.
In response to the incident, Iran summoned Ukraine’s charge d’affaires in Tehran to deliver a formal protest note condemning the “hostile and criminal” act. The attack, which occurred in the early hours of Saturday, resulted in the ship’s explosion and the tragic death of a sailor, with three others sustaining injuries.
The vessel, carrying steel from Russia to Iran, was targeted while en route to Iran’s Anzali Port in Gilan. The ship’s bridge was destroyed, halting its journey, as authorities in Iran’s Gilan province vowed to pursue legal action both domestically and internationally against those responsible for the attack.
