Iran’s FM claims Ukraine struck Iranian vessel ‘at Israel’s behest,’ vows retaliation

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi vowed retaliation against Ukraine for a deadly attack on an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea, claiming it was carried out “at Israel’s behest.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed Kyiv struck “vessels used in military cargo shipments involving Iran,” with Channel 12 reporting these were transporting Iranian weapons to Russia. Iran’s foreign ministry called the attack “hostile and criminal,” stating it caused the ship to explode, killing one sailor and injuring several, while denying intervention in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Araghchi stated, “what the freeloader in Kyiv did CANNOT GO UNANSWERED,” offering no evidence for Israel’s alleged involvement.