Fada Hossein Maleki, a member of Iran's National Security Committee, told Russia's RIA Novosti that Tehran 'will definitely respond in a military manner' to Ukraine's strike on an Iranian ship in the Caspian Sea, according to the Russian news agency.
Fada Hossein Maleki, a member of Iran's National Security Committee, told Russia's RIA Novosti on Tuesday evening that Tehran 'will definitely respond in a military manner' to the Ukrainian strike on an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea. The statement is the most explicit Iranian threat yet, following a series of escalating warnings from Iranian officials since Sunday.
As The Zioneer reported on Sunday (Jul 26, 19:27 Jerusalem), Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi first warned that Ukraine's steps 'will not go unanswered.' Hours later, the Deputy Parliament Speaker joined him in reiterating the threat, and the Foreign Ministry spokesman called the strike a 'dangerous adventure,' comparing President Zelensky to pre-World War I anarchists. On Monday, Zelensky said Iran and North Korea 'already attacked Ukraine' by supplying weapons to Russia. By Tuesday, the Kremlin urged Iran to view the attack as a direct assault on Iran, and the two countries announced coordination between their defense ministries. Ukraine warned of a 50-fold retaliation should Iran strike back.
Maleki's explicit reference to a military response marks a clear escalation in rhetoric, though the exact nature and timing of any retaliation remain unverified. The ship strike has added a new flashpoint to the broader Iran-Ukraine tensions, where Kyiv has accused Tehran of supplying drones to Russia — a charge Iran denies.
4 developments
- DevelopingZelensky says Iran, North Korea already attacked Ukraine, after Tehran threatened retaliation over ship strike
- DevelopingKremlin: Iran should view Ukrainian ship strike as direct attack on Iran
- DevelopingIran and Russia coordinate positions after Ukrainian strike on Iranian ship
- StrongSenior Ukrainian official warns Iran: Any attack on Kyiv will be met with 50-fold retaliation
Source and signal
- Open-source intake