Tehran has summoned Ukraine’s charge d’affaires after a Kiev strike on an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea killed one sailor and injured another.

The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the attack as a “hostile and criminal” act and a violation of Article 2(4) of the United Nations (UN) Charter that could expand the Russia-Ukraine war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed long-range strikes in the Caspian Sea targeting “vessels used in military cargo shipments involving Iran, as well as a warship.” He posted on X, “Russia must be stopped. This war must be stopped. Pressure on the aggressor must work.”

Iranian Foreign Minister (FM) Abbas Araghchi discussed the strike with European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and Russian FM Sergey Lavrov. Araghchi demanded a firm response from the UN Security Council, the EU, and countries supporting Kyiv.

Araghchi stated, “Zelenskyy has attacked an Iranian commercial vessel, killing a sailor. A blatant UN Charter violation done at Israel’s behest to drag Europe into its war. In calls with EU High Rep Kallas and FM Lavrov, made clear that what the freeloader in Kyiv did CANNOT GO UNANSWERED.”

Tehran reiterated that the Iranian government has never directly intervened in the Russia-Ukraine war. Relations between the two countries deteriorated after 2022, when Iran began supplying Shahed drones to Moscow. Ukrainian forces state they have shot down over 44,000 Iranian-designed drones.

Zelenskyy accused Moscow of supplying satellite intelligence to Tehran for strikes against US facilities and the Gulf states.

He said that Russian satellites monitored airbases in Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait on July 19 and 20, adding, “Since the beginning of July, we have recorded active Russian satellite surveillance of the Gulf states and US military facilities located there. These images subsequently appear in Iran.”

The strike opens a northern front for Tehran as the country faces a US naval blockade around the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea disruptions by Yemen’s Houthis.

The incident occurred during a pause in US bombardments after 13 consecutive nights of attacks.