Ukrainian attack on an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea kills one sailor

Iran's foreign ministry on Saturday, 25 July 2026, condemned a Ukrainian attack on an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea. According to Tehran, an explosion aboard the vessel killed one sailor and wounded another.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the attack in a phone call on Saturday evening with Kaja Kallas, the European Union's foreign policy chief, calling for a response from the UN Security Council and the EU and for those responsible to be held to account. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had earlier said his forces struck a Russian warship and vessels carrying Iran linked military cargo in the Caspian Sea.

The Caspian has become one of Iran's alternative trade routes in recent weeks, while the southern route through the Strait of Hormuz faces serious disruption. Insecurity in these waters could affect both the cost and the routing of essential goods imports.