Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has strongly condemned what he claims was a Ukrainian attack on an Iranian merchant vessel in the Caspian Sea. According to Araghchi, the incident, which killed one sailor, constitutes a serious violation of international law and must not go unanswered.
Araghchi made the remarks in a post on his X account on Sunday, July 26, 2026. He accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of being responsible for the attack.
“(Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelenskyy has attacked an Iranian merchant ship, killing one sailor,” Araghchi wrote on X.
In his statement, Araghchi described the attack as a violation of the United Nations (UN) Charter. He also claimed that the operation was carried out at Israel’s direction with the aim of widening the conflict.
“A blatant violation of the UN Charter,” Araghchi said, claiming that the attack was carried out “at Israel’s behest to drag Europe into its war.“
However, there is currently no independent evidence verifying Iran’s claim of Israeli involvement in the incident.
Iran Lodges Protest With the European Union and Russia
Araghchi said the Iranian government had formally conveyed its position regarding the incident during separate discussions with European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
According to him, the diplomatic communications were intended to explain Iran’s position regarding what it described as an attack on one of its merchant vessels in the Caspian Sea.
Meanwhile, diplomatic tensions escalated after Iran summoned Ukraine’s chargé d’affaires on Saturday, July 25, 2026.
The move followed Tehran’s claim that the Ukrainian military had attacked an Iranian merchant ship, killing one sailor and injuring several others.
The summons served as Iran’s formal protest against what it described as a military action that endangered civilian maritime navigation.
Zelenskyy Says Ukraine Achieved Major Success in the Caspian Sea
On the same day, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also issued a statement on his X account.
He said Ukraine had carried out long-range strikes with “very significant results” in the Caspian Sea region.
According to Zelenskyy, the operation targeted several assets considered strategically important to Russia and its partners.
Ukraine had achieved “very strong results” through its long-range attacks in the Caspian Sea, including strikes against “ships used to transport military cargo involving Iran, as well as a warship.“
In his statement, Zelenskyy did not specifically mention any Iranian casualties or provide further details about the vessels that were targeted.
The Caspian Sea is a strategically important body of water bordered by Iran, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Azerbaijan. The region plays a vital role in trade, energy transportation, and regional security.***
