Iran has accused Ukraine of attacking a merchant vessel in the Caspian Sea, according to a statement by Esmail Baghai, a spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).
According to Baghai, an explosion occurred on board the vessel, which allegedly resulted in the death of one crew member and the injury of another. Tehran described the incident as an “act of aggression” and stated that it “reserves the right to defend its national interests and security”. The Iranian Foreign Ministry also accused Ukraine of attempting to “escalate the war”.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry pledged to defend its ships from Ukrainian drones, stating that it had “never intervened in the war between Russia and Ukraine”.
The ministry stated that it regarded the incident as a violation of international law and called on the UN and the international community to respond.
The Ukrainian authorities have not yet commented on Tehran’s allegations regarding the attack specifically on an Iranian commercial vessel. At the same time, Kyiv had previously noted that it “strikes exclusively at military targets and logistical routes that facilitate Russian aggression against Ukraine”.
Iran’s statement came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported “successful long-range strikes” by Ukrainian forces on targets in the Caspian Sea.
“We have also achieved very good results from long-range strikes in the waters of the Caspian Sea. In particular, these include vessels that were involved in transporting military cargo from Iran, and a warship,” the Ukrainian head of state wrote on social media.