Iran has stated that Ukraine allegedly struck a merchant vessel in the Caspian Sea, resulting in the death of one crew member and injuries to another. This is stated in an official statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran, reports UNN.
Details
In Tehran, they claimed that the explosion on board the vessel occurred on the morning of July 25. The Iranian Foreign Ministry called the incident an "act of aggression," which, in their view, violates Article 2, Paragraph 4 of the UN Charter and could lead to further escalation of the war.
According to Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei, the country reserves the right to defend its national interests and security. Additionally, Tehran accused Ukraine of attempting to "expand the scale of the war" and stated that they would protect their vessels from Ukrainian drones.
Iran appealed to the UN
The official statement from Iran's Foreign Ministry also claims that the country "has never interfered in the war between Russia and Ukraine." Tehran called on the UN Security Council, European states, and other member countries of the United Nations to respond to the incident.
At the same time, the statement notes that Iran considers the attack a violation of international law and holds the "regime of Ukraine and its supporters" responsible for possible consequences. Tehran also emphasized that, in accordance with the principle of self-defense, they "will not hesitate to defend their national interests and security."
As of the time of publication, the Ukrainian authorities have not commented on Iran's accusations regarding the alleged attack on an Iranian merchant vessel. At the same time, Kyiv has repeatedly emphasized that it strikes exclusively military targets and logistics routes that support Russian aggression against Ukraine.