Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged a firm international response in a call with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas [File: West Asia News Agency]
Iran accuses Ukraine of deadly attack on Caspian commercial vessel
Tehran summons Ukrainian envoy over the attack, which it says killed one sailor and wounded another.By Al Jazeera Staff, Anadolu and Reuters
Published On 25 Jul 2026
Tehran has accused Ukraine of attacking an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea, causing an explosion that killed one sailor and injured another.
Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Ukraine’s chargé d’affaires in Tehran to protest what it described as a “hostile and criminal” attack on Saturday, state news agency IRNA reported.
The ministry claimed the attack had been acknowledged by the Ukrainian leadership and said it reflected Kyiv’s continued “irrational and hostile approach” towards Iran. It warned Iran would defend its national interests.
It also described the incident as a violation of Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter and said it could further inflame and expand the Russia-Ukraine war.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also discussed the matter in a phone call with the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas, his office said in a statement.
Araghchi strongly condemned Ukraine’s military attack on the vessel in the Caspian Sea, and reportedly “called for a firm response from the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, and the international community, and for the perpetrators and supporters of this criminal act to be held accountable”, according to the statement shared on Telegram.
‘Pressure’
“The Iranians are not really happy with [the attack], while they’re also dealing with a US blockade on the southern coast,” said Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi, reporting from Tehran.
He explained that the attacks on Iran’s northern coast are “putting extra pressure” on Iran’s maritime trade.
In its condemnation, Iran’s Foreign Ministry reiterated that Tehran has never intervened in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The incident came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced in a post on X that Kyiv had achieved “very strong results” with long-range strikes in the Caspian Sea, hitting “vessels used in military cargo shipments involving Iran, as well as a warship.” He did not identify the commercial vessel named by Tehran as a target.
Zelenskyy separately alleged that Russia had been passing satellite imagery of Gulf states and US military sites to Iran. He said surveillance on July 19 and 20 covered airbases in Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait.
Iran and Ukraine have been at odds since 2022, when Iran sold Russia the Shahed drones that Moscow has since adapted and launched in their thousands at Ukrainian cities.
Kyiv says it has shot down more than 44,000 of the Iranian-designed drones since Russia’s invasion.
Ukraine has also offered its drone interceptors and expertise to governments in the Gulf that have come under Iranian attack during the US-Iran war, deploying anti-drone specialists to Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
UK PM to welcome Zelenskiy as first foreign visitor
By Reuters July 26, 2026
Britain's Prime Minister Andy Burnham officially opens No. 10 North at Heron House, in Manchester
LONDON, July 26 (Reuters) - Britain's new prime minister, Andy Burnham, will welcome Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as his first international visitor on Monday, in a move that underscores London's steadfast support for Ukraine, Burnham's office said.
The two leaders are expected to meet at a naval base, where they will hear how UK-led training programmes are helping strengthen Ukraine's armed forces and deliver results on the battlefield, according to Downing Street.
"Britain stands with Ukraine, shoulder to shoulder, and our support remains unwavering," Burnham said in a statement. "Russia should be in no doubt of our resolve, and we will not back down until we achieve long-lasting and just peace for Ukraine."
During the visit, Burnham and Zelenskiy will meet more than 200 Ukrainian military personnel and sailors who have spent the past three weeks in Britain taking part in Exercise Sea Breeze, a maritime security and counter-mine exercise designed to prepare participants for future missions in the Black Sea.
Since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, the UK's total support for Ukraine has reached £25 billion ($33.3 billion), including £16 billion in military assistance and £5.6 billion in non-military support, Burnham's office said.
Burnham's predecessor Keir Starmer visited Kyiv days before he stood down earlier this month, where he pledged €300 million ($345 million) to help equip Ukraine with a squadron of 16 Swedish-made Gripen fighter jets.
($1 = 0.7508 pounds)
Reporting by Paul Sandle Editing by Ros Russell
Britain's Prime Minister Andy Burnham welcomes staff as he officially opens No. 10 North at Heron House, in Manchester, Britain, July 24, 2026. James Speakman/Pool via REUTERS
