Iran Considered Missile Strike on Ukrainian Port After Caspian Sea Ship Attack – NYT

Iran considered striking one of Ukraine’s seaports with a ballistic missile in retaliation for a Ukrainian attack on an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea, The New York Times reported, citing Iranian and Western officials familiar with the matter. Tehran reportedly weighed using a missile with a small warhead in what it viewed as a “symbolic” response designed to cause limited damage.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Iranian officials believed the move could end the confrontation, but Western governments warned that Ukraine’s response was unpredictable and that the escalation could spiral into a wider conflict. Diplomatic efforts eventually helped de-escalate the situation and persuaded Iran to abandon the planned strike, according to NYT sources on Tuesday. The de-escalation came after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held a phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha over the July 25 attack on an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea. Araghchi said Sybiha assured him that the strike was unintentional and that Kyiv was not seeking 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 on X. Sybiha said he urged Iran to refrain from “any escalatory steps” and stressed that Ukraine “has never intended to target civilian vessels.” Other Topics of Interest Iran Says It ‘Does Not Seek Escalation’ After Sybiha Call Over Caspian Sea Strike, Demands Compensation Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha spoke with his Iranian counterpart on July 28, seeking to avoid further escalation following Ukraine’s strike on an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea. It was the first official contact between the two ministers since Sybiha became Ukraine’s foreign minister in September 2024. Sybiha told Araghchi that Ukraine’s actions were aimed solely at defending the country from Russia’s aggression and that Kyiv had never intended to target civilians or civilian vessels. Addressing Iran’s accusations over the sailor’s death and the damaged vessel, Sybiha said Russia was “the root cause of all incidents” and bears “full responsibility for all provocations and casualties.” “This war is illegal and it must end,” Sybiha said, calling on Iran to “end any support for Russia’s war against Ukraine.” The call came a day after Tehran warned of “unforeseen consequences” over the strike, which President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed on July 25 was part of Ukraine’s long-range operations in the Caspian Sea against vessels carrying military cargo. Zelensky said the vessels targeted in the Caspian Sea were being used to transport military cargo from Iran to Russia. Araghchi called the strike a violation of the UN Charter and claimed it was aimed at dragging Europe into Iran’s confrontation with the United States. Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said Ukraine and its partners would be held responsible and warned the attack would not go unanswered. Relations between Ukraine and Iran have deteriorated since Tehran began supplying Russia with Shahed attack drones during Moscow’s full-scale invasion in 2022. The drones have become a key component of Russia’s strikes against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure. Kyiv has repeatedly accused Iran of helping fuel Russia’s war effort, while Tehran has denied direct involvement. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.