Iran accuses Ukraine of attacking merchant ship in Caspian Sea
Translated from French, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- Iran accused Ukraine of attacking one of its merchant ships in the Caspian Sea on Saturday, July 25, 2026, resulting in one death and one injury.
- Ukraine's intelligence services reported drone attacks on "cargo ships under international sanctions used to transport military cargo between Iran and Russia."
- Iran summoned Ukraine's charge d'affaires and called for a "resolute response" from the EU and UN Security Council.
Iran has accused Ukraine of attacking one of its merchant ships in the Caspian Sea, an incident that reportedly killed one sailor and injured another. The official IRNA news agency cited Iran's foreign ministry, stating the attack on Saturday morning caused an explosion aboard the vessel. The ministry protested what it called the "irrational and hostile attitude" of the Ukrainian regime, asserting that the Islamic Republic has never intervened in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
The attack carried out by the Ukrainian regime against an Iranian merchant ship in the Caspian Sea, explicitly claimed by the head of this regime, testifies to the persistence of the irrational and hostile attitude of the Ukrainian regime.
This accusation comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed on social media to have achieved "very solid results with long-range strikes in the Caspian Sea," targeting ships involved in military cargo transport between Iran and Russia, as well as a warship. Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) also reported drone attacks on "cargo ships under international sanctions used to transport military cargo between Iran and Russia."
very solid results with long-range strikes in the Caspian Sea, targeting ships used for the transport of military cargo involving Iran, as well as a warship.
In response to the incident, Iran summoned Ukraine's charge d'affaires in Tehran to the foreign ministry for a reprimand over the "hostile and criminal act." Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also spoke with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, calling for a "resolute response" from the EU and the United Nations Security Council.
cargo ships under international sanctions that were used to transport military cargo between Iran and Russia.
Originally published by Le Figaro in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.