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Iran accuses Ukraine of deadly attack on Caspian commercial vessel
Al Jazeera • • general
Key Points:
- Iran accused Ukraine of attacking an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea, resulting in one sailor's death and another's injury, and summoned Ukraine’s chargé d’affaires to protest the incident.
- The Iranian Foreign Ministry condemned the attack as a violation of the UN Charter and warned it could escalate the Russia-Ukraine conflict, while Iran's Foreign Minister called for international accountability.
- Ukrainian President Zelenskyy claimed successful long-range strikes in the Caspian Sea targeting vessels involved in military cargo shipments with Iran, though he did not confirm targeting the specific commercial vessel Iran named.
- The incident adds pressure on Iran’s maritime trade amid a US blockade on its southern coast, with Iran maintaining it has not intervened in the Russia-Ukraine war despite tensions over Iranian drone support to Russia.
- Ukraine has countered Iranian drone attacks by shooting down thousands of Iranian-designed drones and has offered anti-drone support to Gulf states affected by Iranian aggression.
