Iran accuses Ukraine of deadly attack on Caspian commercial vessel

Tehran summons Ukrainian envoy implicit the attack, which it says killed 1 sailor and wounded another.

Tehran has accused Ukraine of attacking an Iranian commercialized vas successful the Caspian Sea, causing an detonation that killed 1 sailor and injured another.

Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Ukraine’s chargé d’affaires successful Tehran to protestation what it described arsenic a “hostile and criminal” onslaught connected Saturday, authorities quality bureau IRNA reported.

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The ministry claimed the onslaught had been acknowledged by the Ukrainian enactment and said it reflected Kyiv’s continued “irrational and hostile approach” towards Iran. It warned Iran would support its nationalist interests.

It besides described the incidental arsenic a usurpation of Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter and said it could further inflame and grow the Russia-Ukraine war.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi besides discussed the substance successful a telephone telephone with the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas, his bureau said successful a statement.

Araghchi powerfully condemned Ukraine’s subject onslaught connected the vas successful the Caspian Sea, and reportedly “called for a steadfast effect from the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, and the planetary community, and for the perpetrators and supporters of this transgression enactment to beryllium held accountable”, according to the connection shared connected Telegram.

‘Pressure’

“The Iranians are not truly blessed with [the attack], portion they’re besides dealing with a US blockade connected the confederate coast,” said Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi, reporting from Tehran.

He explained that the attacks connected Iran’s bluish seashore are “putting other pressure” connected Iran’s maritime trade.

In its condemnation, Iran’s Foreign Ministry reiterated that Tehran has ne'er intervened successful the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The incidental came arsenic Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced successful a station connected X that Kyiv had achieved “very beardown results” with long-range strikes successful the Caspian Sea, hitting “vessels utilized successful subject cargo shipments involving Iran, arsenic good arsenic a warship.” He did not place the commercialized vas named by Tehran arsenic a target.

Zelenskyy separately alleged that Russia had been passing outer imagery of Gulf states and US subject sites to Iran. He said surveillance connected July 19 and 20 covered airbases successful Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait.

Iran and Ukraine person been astatine likelihood since 2022, erstwhile Iran sold Russia the Shahed drones that Moscow has since adapted and launched successful their thousands astatine Ukrainian cities.

Kyiv says it has changeable down more than 44,000 of the Iranian-designed drones since Russia’s invasion.

Ukraine has besides offered its drone interceptors and expertise to governments successful the Gulf that person travel nether Iranian onslaught during the US-Iran war, deploying anti-drone specialists to Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.