Tehran, July 25 (V7N)- Iran has accused Ukraine of carrying out a deadly attack on an Iranian merchant vessel in the Caspian Sea, an incident that Tehran says left one sailor dead and another injured.

According to Iran's state news agency IRNA, the Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned Ukraine's acting ambassador in Tehran following the incident, describing the attack as a "hostile and criminal act."

The ministry claimed that Ukrainian authorities had accepted responsibility for the operation, alleging that it reflected Kyiv's "hostile and unreasonable" policy toward Iran. Tehran warned that it reserves the right to take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests.

Iran also argued that the attack violated Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter and warned that such actions could further escalate the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi discussed the matter by telephone with European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas. In a statement issued by his office, Araghchi strongly condemned what he described as Ukraine's military attack on an Iranian vessel and called on the UN Security Council, the European Union and the international community to take firm action. He also demanded accountability for those responsible and their supporters.

Reporting from Tehran, Al Jazeera correspondent Tohid Asadi said Iranian officials are increasingly concerned about the security of maritime trade, noting that the country is already facing pressure on its southern shipping routes due to US sanctions. According to the report, the latest incident in the Caspian Sea has added further pressure to Iran's northern trade corridor.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry also reiterated that Tehran has never directly participated in the Russia-Ukraine war.

On the other hand, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a post on social media platform X that Ukraine had achieved "very strong results" in long-range operations in the Caspian Sea. He claimed that several vessels, including a warship involved in transporting military cargo linked to Iran, had been struck. However, he did not specifically mention the merchant ship that Iran alleges was attacked.

Zelensky also alleged that Russia had shared satellite imagery of military installations in Gulf countries and the United States with Iran. He claimed surveillance operations were conducted on July 19 and 20 targeting military facilities, including air bases in Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait.

Relations between Tehran and Kyiv have remained strained since Iran supplied Shahed drones to Russia in 2022. Ukraine says Russia has used modified versions of the drones in large-scale attacks on Ukrainian cities, while Kyiv claims to have intercepted more than 44,000 Iranian-designed drones since the full-scale Russian invasion began.

Ukraine has also offered anti-drone technology and technical assistance to Gulf countries that have faced Iranian attacks during the US-Iran conflict, deploying specialists to Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, according to Ukrainian officials.

END/SMA/AJ