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Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on July 28 that he had been assured by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha that the recent attack on an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea was unintentional and that Ukraine seeks no escalation.
“Iran does not seek escalation either, but makes clear any attack on our citizens or interests is unacceptable. There must be restitution for losses,” Araghchi wrote on X.
The vessel was struck on July 25, killing one sailor and wounding several others. At the time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the ship was being used for “military cargo shipments involving Iran.”
Iran’s foreign ministry described the attack as “hostile and criminal,” insisting that Iran “never intervened in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.” It also summoned Ukraine’s chargé d’affaires in Tehran to lodge a formal protest.
Araghchi later claimed the Ukrainian attack was carried out “at Israel’s behest” and vowed that it “cannot go unanswered.” The minister’s warning was echoed by Ebrahim Azizi, head of parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, who said that “any attack on Iran always comes with a cost” and that Ukraine “may soon come to understand that Iran does not let actions go unanswered.”
Sybiha dismissed the threats as “unjustified and groundless,” writing on X that “the regime in Tehran is a direct accomplice to Russian aggression against Ukraine,” supplying weapons that “have killed Ukrainians since 2022.”
Araghchi’s latest remarks indicate that the two sides have since communicated to de-escalate the situation, although Iran is now apparently demanding compensation for the losses.
While Kyiv attempted to play down the Iranian threats, Ukrainian media showed clear signs of concern, with some outlets warning of a possible missile attack from the Islamic Republic.
The fact that Ukraine also reached out to Tehran suggests Kyiv is also deeply worried. Beyond launching missiles at Ukrainian territory, Iran could target commercial vessels linked to Ukraine closer to home in the Persian Gulf or the Gulf of Oman.
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ukraine will compensation iran with another goat to f*ck!