Iran has escalated threats against Ukraine, stating that attacks on the clerical regime will "never be without cost." The warning follows a recent Ukrainian strike in the Caspian Sea that resulted in the death of a sailor. Ebrahim Azizi, head of the Iranian parliament's national security commission, asserted that "the Islamic Republic of Iran does not leave debts unpaid" and that "the list of defeated forces is getting longer."
Azizi accused Ukraine of miscalculation and reiterated that any attack on Iran "always comes with a cost." Tehran has summoned Ukraine's charge d'affaires in Tehran to protest what it termed a "hostile and criminal act." Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi claimed the strike "cannot go unanswered" and accused Ukraine of violating the United Nations Charter.
Araghchi alleged that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy targeted an Iranian commercial vessel, leading to the sailor's death, and suggested the action was instigated by Israel to involve Europe in its conflict. He stated that this action "CANNOT GO UNANSWERED."
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy announced that Kyiv forces had successfully struck a Russian warship and other vessels involved in military cargo shipments with Iran. The Security Service of Ukraine confirmed that sanctioned cargo ships were transporting military goods between Iran and Russia, though the exact nature of the supply chain remains unclear.
Iran has consistently denied supplying weapons to Russia for its ongoing conflict in Ukraine, though it has admitted to sending a limited number of drones after Russia's 2022 invasion. Former U.S. President Donald Trump previously stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin had assured him he would not sell weapons to Iran, and that Chinese President Xi Jinping had also indicated Beijing would not provide arms to the Islamic Republic. Trump warned that such a move would be "very bad" for Moscow and Beijing.