Iranian officials have escalated threats against Ukraine after an Iranian commercial vessel was attacked in the Caspian Sea, killing one sailor and injuring three crew members.
Iran’s regional governor Hadi Hagh-Shenas said the vessel was carrying iron from Astrakhan in Russia to Anzali in Iran, describing the route as a safe commercial corridor between the two ports.
The attack has triggered sharp warnings from Tehran. Ebrahim Azizi, head of the Iranian parliament’s national security committee, said on X that any attack on Iran “comes with a cost” and warned that Ukraine could soon learn that Tehran does not leave such actions unanswered.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also blamed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, calling the strike a violation of the UN Charter and accusing Kyiv of acting at Israel’s request.
Ukraine said on Saturday that it had struck vessels in the Caspian Sea that were involved in transporting military goods from Iran to Russia.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine had achieved “very good results” from long-range strikes in the Caspian Sea, adding that the targets included ships carrying military cargo from Iran and a warship.
The incident adds a new maritime dimension to the widening conflict, with the Caspian Sea emerging as another route under pressure because of military cooperation between Iran and Russia.
Iranian officials have also said the United States recently attacked facilities near the Caspian Sea, including an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval site in Gilan province.
