Iran considered missile strike on Ukraine after ship attack: report

Iran contemplated firing a ballistic missile at Ukraine after Ukrainian forces struck an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea, officials told The New York Times. The potential retaliation, described as a "show of strength," was ultimately avoided due to "a flurry of diplomacy."

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Iran reportedly considered attacking a Ukrainian seaport in the Black Sea in response to a Ukrainian strike on an Iranian ship, but in a "flurry of diplomacy," opted not to.

People familiar with the matter suggested Iran might have used a small warhead for the missile. Such an attack would have significantly escalated the conflict and risked opening a new front, given Iran's alignment with Russia. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky had previously announced Ukrainian forces had struck a Russian warship and vessels carrying Iran-linked military cargo.

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People with knowledge of the matter expected Iran to fire a ballistic missile with a small warhead at Ukraine as a show of strength.

The Kremlin, meanwhile, characterized the Ukrainian strike on the Iranian vessel as an attack on Iran itself. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov accused Ukraine of expanding the scope of "terrorist attacks," referencing previous alleged actions like the Nord Stream pipeline explosions and targeting of the CPC Pipeline Infrastructure. He stated the "threat must be neutralized and definitively destroyed."

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Ukraine's forces struck a Russian warship, and vessels used for transporting Iran-linked military cargo in the Caspian Sea.