Ukraine seeks no escalation with Iran over ship attack

Ukraine said it wants to avoid unnecessary escalation with Iran after the two countries' foreign ministers spoke by phone Tuesday following a Ukrainian attack on an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga wrote on X that he had a "frank conversation" with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

"Diplomacy is about direct conversation, even when it's difficult," Sybiga wrote. "I stressed that our goal is to avoid unnecessary escalation."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday that Kyiv had carried out long-range strikes in the Caspian Sea against vessels carrying military cargo involving Iran.

Sybiga said he told Araghchi that Ukraine's actions were aimed only at defending the country from Russian aggression and were never intended to target civilian vessels or people.

On Iran's statement about the death of one of its citizens and the vessel involved, Sybiga said Russia was "the root cause of all incidents" and bore full responsibility for provocations and casualties.

Sybiga said he emphasised the need to avoid escalatory steps and to end support for Russia's war against Ukraine.

Araghchi, in his own X post, said Sybiga had assured him the attack was "unintentional and Ukraine seeks no escalation".

"Iran does not seek escalation either, but made clear any attack on our citizens or interests is unacceptable. There must be restitution for losses," Araghchi wrote.

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Georgiy Tykhy said it was the first official contact between Sybiga, who has been in post since September 2024, and Araghchi.

Relations between Kyiv and Tehran are strained. Iran has supplied Shahed drone technology to Moscow since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Kyiv said it has provided support on counter-drone efforts to Gulf countries targeted by Iranian retaliations after Israel and the United States attacked Iran at the end of February.