Iran, Ukraine Pledge to Avoid Escalation After Attack on Iranian Vessel

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday that Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha had described Ukraine’s attack on an Iranian commercial vessel on Saturday as “unintentional” and affirmed that Ukraine does not seek hostility. In a post on social media platform X following a telephone conversation with Sybiha on the same day, Araghchi said, “Iran also does not want escalation, but emphasises that any form of attack on our citizens or interests is unacceptable. The damage caused must be compensated.”

In an earlier post on X the same day, Sybiha confirmed the phone call, calling it a “frank discussion.” He said, “Diplomacy is about direct talks, even when the situation is difficult,” and stressed that “our goal is to avoid unnecessary escalation.” According to Sybiha, he reiterated that all of Ukraine’s actions are “solely aimed at defending our country” and were “never intended to target civilian vessels or civilians.” He also emphasised “the need to refrain from steps that could trigger escalation.”

Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned the attack in a statement on Saturday, stating that the strike caused the vessel to explode and killed one sailor. The semi-official Mehr news agency reported on Sunday that three sailors were also injured in the attack. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that his country’s forces had struck a Russian warship and several vessels used to transport Iranian-linked military cargo in the Caspian Sea.