Iran warns Ukraine: attack on Iranian commercial ship in Caspian Sea ‘will not go unanswered’. Tehran makes its protest heard after the military operation conducted on Saturday 25 July and confirmed by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky who points out the boats as responsible for the transport of military material from Iran to Russia.
The ‘Israeli-instigated’ Ukrainian night attack: what happened
According to Iran’s Foreign Ministry, the attack caused an explosion aboard the ship, killing one sailor and wounding another. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote in X that the attack was “a clear violation of the United Nations Charter, carried out at the instigation of Israel to drag Europe into its war.”
Araghchi added that he had “made it clear” to the head of EU foreign policy, Kaja Kallas, and to the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, during some telephone calls, that “what that parasite from Kiev did cannot go unanswered”.
Zelenskyy attacked an Iranian commercial vessel, killing a sailor. A blatant UN Charter violation done at Israel’s best to drag Europe into its war.
In calls with EU High Rep Kallas and FM Lavrov, made clear that what the freeloader in Kyiv did CANNOT GO UNANSWERED.
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) July 26, 2026
The Foreign Ministry then summoned Ukraine’s charge d’affaires in Tehran, who was informed of the Islamic Republic’s “strong protest” for what is defined as a “hostile and criminal” act. During the meeting, the head of the ministry’s Eurasia directorate, Manouchehr Moradi, defined the attack as “a clear threat to the security of all coastal states”, further adding that Tehran “will not leave attacks against the lives and property of its citizens unanswered”.
In the official statement, the Iranian ministry claims that the Islamic Republic “will not hesitate to defend its national interests and security”.
Zelensky confirms attacks in the Caspian Sea
On the Ukrainian side comes confirmation of a series of long-range operations in the Caspian Sea. “We have achieved very important results with long-range attacks in the Caspian Sea,” Zelensky wrote on social media, indicating among the targets some ships used for military expeditions “involving Iran”.
Ukraine continues applying long‑range sanctions in response to Russian strikes. Last night, the warriors of our Defense Forces hit targets across different regions of Russia that are fueling this war.
Once again, a plant in Kirov was struck – the one supplying components for the… pic.twitter.com/D0Z6bFRiww
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 25, 2026
According to the Ukrainian Security Service, one of the affected vessels was used to transport military equipment between Iran and Russia and was operating to evade international sanctions.