Iran was prepared to strike Ukraine after Kyiv attacked an Iranian cargo ship in the Caspian Sea last month, but called off the attack, an adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader has said.
“We were ready to strike three locations in Ukraine, but after they claimed the attack was a mistake, we suspended our response to consider their claim,” Mohsen Rezaei told state television on 3 August.
“In any case, they will have to pay for their attack,” Rezaei added.
There has been no reaction from Kyiv to this statement as yet.
Tehran claimed that the vessel was carrying civilian cargo and that an Iranian sailor was killed as a result of the Ukrainian strike. However, Ukraine claimed that the vessel was transporting components for drones and missiles from Iran to Russia.
Shortly after the incident in the Caspian Sea on 25 July, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga rang his Iranian counterpart Abbas Arakchi to say that Kyiv was keen to avoid unnecessary escalation.
“Our aim is to counter Russian aggression, which is the root cause of all incidents, and it is Russia that bears full responsibility for all provocations and casualties,” Sibiga emphasised.
Iran and Russia have forged close military ties in recent years. Tehran has supplied Moscow with combat drones of its own manufacture, which Russia has used in the war against Ukraine. Kyiv has stated that this has made Tehran an accomplice in Russia’s war.