Tehran, July 26, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Iran has accused Ukraine of targeting an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea at Israel’s behest, alleging that the attack was intended to draw European nations deeper into the ongoing regional conflict.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said the strike, which reportedly killed one sailor and injured another, constituted a violation of the United Nations Charter. In a post on social media platform X, Araghchi claimed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had ordered the attack as part of an effort to widen the scope of the conflict involving Israel.
He said he had conveyed Iran’s position during separate conversations with European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, asserting that the incident “cannot go unanswered.”
According to the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Araghchi also discussed the matter with Kallas in a telephone conversation on Saturday, urging the European Union, the UN Security Council and the wider international community to take decisive action against those responsible for what Tehran described as an attack on a civilian commercial vessel.
The ministry said both sides also exchanged views on developments in the Strait of Hormuz, stressing the importance of diplomatic efforts to reduce regional tensions.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry separately announced that it had summoned Ukraine’s Charge d’Affaires in Tehran to formally lodge a protest, describing the strike as a “hostile and criminal” act.
Earlier on Sunday, the ministry said the attack caused an explosion aboard the vessel, leaving one crew member dead and another injured.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that Ukrainian forces had struck a Russian warship and vessels allegedly used to transport Iran-linked military cargo in the Caspian Sea.
Iran maintained that it has not intervened in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and warned that such actions risk expanding the war and undermining regional security.
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