ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran's Foreign Ministry on Saturday condemned what it described as a Ukrainian attack on an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea, saying the strike killed one sailor and wounded another, while warning that Tehran would defend its national interests under international law.
In a statement, the ministry said the attack took place in the early hours of Saturday and "resulted in an explosion on the ship, the martyrdom of one sailor, and the injury of another." It described the incident as "an act of aggression that could further inflame and expand the fires of war."
Tehran also claimed that Kyiv had acknowledged responsibility for the attack, saying the alleged strike "has been explicitly admitted by the head of that regime" and was evidence of "the continuation of the Ukrainian regime's illogical and hostile approach toward the Islamic Republic of Iran."
The statement came hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed responsibility for the strike in a post on X, saying Ukraine had scored "very strong results with long-range strikes in the Caspian Sea – including vessels used in military cargo shipments involving Iran, as well as a warship."
It also comes amid the renewed escalating tensions between Iran and the United States. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Friday it had completed a thirteenth consecutive night of strikes and reported redirecting commercial vessels to enforce a renewed naval blockade, while Iranian officials have repeatedly warned they would respond forcefully to any attacks on the country or its infrastructure.
On Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned a proposal by US President Donald Trump to use frozen Iranian assets to compensate for damages to commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, calling it "an incendiary precedent" and warning that "once governments normalize confiscation, no one's assets are safe."
In its Saturday statement, Iranian foreign ministry reiterated that Tehran "has never intervened in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine" and urged the UN Security Council, European countries, and all UN member states to recognize that the alleged attack "not only committed an international violation but is also seeking to spread the fire of war and insecurity in a dangerous manner."
Tehran also warned it reserved the right to respond, stating that "in accordance with the fundamental principles and rules of international law, particularly the principle of legitimate defense (self-defense), the Islamic Republic of Iran will not hesitate to defend its national interests and security."
The statement added that "the responsibility for the consequences arising from the adventurism of the head of the Ukrainian regime will lie with that regime and its supporters and instigators."
