Iran Urges EU to Take Firm Action Over Ukrainian Attack on Iranian Vessel

Tehran (ANTARA) - Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Saturday urged the European Union (EU) to take firm action against Ukraine for attacking an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea. He made the statement during a telephone conversation with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, in which the two sides discussed the latest regional developments, according to a statement from the Iranian Foreign Ministry. Araghchi condemned the Ukrainian attack and urged the EU, the UN Security Council, and the international community to hold the ‘perpetrators’ and their supporters accountable. The two sides also discussed developments in the Strait of Hormuz, stressing the need for diplomatic initiatives to manage regional tensions, the statement added. In a separate statement, the ministry said it had summoned the Ukrainian chargé d’affaires in Tehran on Saturday over the attack. Iran formally delivered a note of protest condemning the ‘hostile and criminal’ act. Earlier on Saturday, the ministry said the Ukrainian attack caused the vessel to explode, killing one sailor and injuring another. The ministry stated that Iran has never interfered in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, adding that the attack could dangerously ‘expand the flames of war and insecurity’. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also said on Saturday that his country’s forces had struck Russian warships and vessels used to transport Iranian-linked military cargo in the Caspian Sea.