Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused Ukraine of attacking an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea, killing one of its sailors, and claimed the attack was carried out 'at Israel's behest.' Araghchi vowed revenge against Ukraine, according to reports.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has confirmed that a sailor was killed in an attack on an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea, which he attributes to Ukraine acting at Israel's behest. The confirmation came in his latest statement, as he reiterated threats of retaliation.
The accusations first emerged Sunday evening, when Araghchi accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of ordering the attack, alleging it was carried out on Israel's orders to drag Europe into war. He subsequently stated that the attack "cannot go unanswered" and said he conveyed this position to EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. In a later statement, Araghchi directly accused Israel of inciting the attack.
Araghchi, a veteran diplomat and Iran's top foreign policy official, has been at the center of Tehran's regional posture, issuing threats and warnings across multiple fronts. As The Zioneer has reported, Araghchi has previously warned of retaliation for Israeli strikes and has been involved in diplomatic efforts to manage the risk of escalation.
No independent verification of the attack has been provided, and no details have been released on the vessel's identity, the exact timing of the incident, or the nature of the threatened retaliation. Ukraine has not commented on the accusations.
6 developments
- DevelopingZelensky says Iran, North Korea already attacked Ukraine, after Tehran threatened retaliation over ship strike
- DevelopingAraghchi warns Ukraine's steps 'will not go unanswered'
- StrongIran's Araghchi: any Israeli strike on Lebanon or remaining in occupied lands breaches MoU
- DevelopingUS military: Iran's attack on ship was 'unjustified aggression', blatantly violated ceasefire
Source and signal
- Open-source intake