Ukraine for the first time targeted an Iranian cargo ship in the Caspian Sea, killing an Iranian sailor. Ukraine’s action was met with a sharp reaction from Tehran. Iran said it considered the attack a hostile act, an act of war.

After Ukraine’s independence, relations between Tehran and Kyiv were shaped mainly by national interests and the exploitation of mutual capacities. In the past two decades, relations between Iran and Ukraine have transformed from a pragmatic but shallow interaction to a tense one, heavily influenced by geopolitical developments. Before 2014, the two countries were more closely connected in the economic, transit, industrial, and technical spheres.

Since 2014, with the strengthening of Iran-Russia relations, Ukraine’s greater cooperation with Europe and the West, the crash of flight PS752 in 2020, and the beginning of the Ukrainian war in 2022, the level of distrust and political differences between Tehran and Kyiv has increased significantly.

With the beginning of the Ukrainian war in February 2022, Iran-Ukraine relations have entered a new and much more difficult phase. From the Ukrainian perspective, Tehran is not considered a neutral actor towards Ukraine. In 2024 and 2025, one of the main pillars of Ukraine’s foreign policy has been pressure on Russia’s allies and friends. Kyiv has consistently accused Iran of strengthening Moscow’s military power and indirectly participating in the destruction of Ukraine’s security. This approach has effectively shifted Iran-Ukraine relations to a state of “indirect confrontation.”

In recent years, the Iran-Ukraine relationship has also seen further tensions. Kyiv has been taking a diplomatic approach against Iran in multilateral and international forums to increase pressure on Tehran. Zelensky even met with Reza Pahlavi, the leader of the Iranian opposition supported by Israel and some in the United States.

Recently, Ukraine for the first time targetted an Iranian cargo ship in the Caspian Sea that was being transferred to Russia, claiming that the ship was carrying “military cargo.” Hours after the attack, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky celebrated the achievement of “very strong results with long-range strikes in the Caspian Sea - on military cargoes related to Iran.”

Kyiv’s approach

Ukraine, which has regularly expressed its solidarity and desire to join NATO, considers the United States its most important ally. Ukraine’s act to greenlight its partners seems to be part of an effort to demonstrate its capabilities and value as a partner to the United States. It could also be a way to drag Europe and NATO into a war against Iran, receiving more funding and weapons from the United States and Europe.

This approach could also be a kind of proxy operation by Israel and the United States. That means, they could ask Ukraine to increase military pressure on Iran from the north on their behalf.

Recently, a new intelligence file has revealed the existence of Ukrainian intervention in Iraq and limited bombing operations linked to Ukraine. Therefore, Ukraine may pay more attention to decisions and movements at the behest of third Arab and Western countries. From the Ukrainian perspective, while Russia is allegedly helping Iran target its targets, Kyiv is also expanding its anti-Iran operations.

Tehran’s response

Ukraine’s action in targeting an Iranian merchant vessel in the Caspian Sea, killing an Iranian sailor, was met with a sharp reaction from Tehran. The Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the action and summoned Ukraine’s chargé d’affaires to the Foreign Ministry.

Tehran also said it considered the attack a hostile act, an act of war. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on July 26 that Ukraine’s attack on an Iranian merchant vessel “cannot go unanswered” and warned that Tehran would respond to the incident.

He accused Ukraine of “a flagrant violation of the UN Charter, carried out at the behest of Israel to drag Europe into its war.” Iran has said in separate phone calls with allies such as Russia and actors such as the European Union that Ukraine’s action “cannot go unanswered.” In other words, Tehran is trying to control Zelensky by holding Ukrainian supporters accountable. From this perspective, Ukraine’s dangerous actions and adventurism could have consequences for different parts of the world.

From the perspective of some, there is a possibility of Israeli influence on Ukraine’s actions, and Ukraine could be part of a new conspiracy against Iran. Many in Tehran also believe that Ukraine wants to attract the attention of Western countries by expanding the conflict or being part of a new conspiracy against Iran. As Haji Babaei, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament, said: “We warn Ukrainian employers that any mischief by your contractor in the region and the Caspian Sea will result in a regrettable response from Iran.”

Outlook

Ukraine’s attack on an Iranian ship occurred in a situation where the Ukrainian war, Iran’s confrontation with the United States and Israel, and Europe’s concern about the spread of security crises are intertwined.

?The two war fronts of the Middle East and Ukraine are more intertwined than ever before. While Iran has paid more attention to the North-South Corridor through the Caspian Sea. The Ukrainian attack is also a kind of blow to international corridors.

Iran will not hesitate to defend its interests and national security in principle, in self-defense. This is the first time an Iranian has lost his life in Ukrainian attacks. Tehran considers the targeting of an Iranian ship as an attack on its strategic interests. Therefore, if Ukraine directly attacks Iranian infrastructure, it will increase the risk of escalating tensions between Kyiv and Tehran and the possibility of direct conflict between the two.

Iran has the ability and willingness to respond. Therefore, to prevent similar actions and the continuation of conspiracies, Ukraine must “receive a serious warning.” That means, if Ukraine seeks to increase attacks against Iranian and contractor interests in the next stages. The option of Iran’s military response is considered.

Iranian missiles can reach Ukrainian territory. Tehran can confront Ukrainian interests in the region and in third countries. That means, in the “gradual deterrence” model, measures with a clear political and security message can be considered to prevent the crisis from reaching the level of all-out war.

Also, the important challenge is that the measures can lead to a counter-reaction of “horizontal escalation” of a conflict to new geographies and actors and gradually increase the level of tension.

In the geopolitical sphere, Ukraine defines its security in convergence with Europe, NATO, and the United States, while Iran has focused on cooperation with Eurasian allies, Russia, and China in recent years. The joint positions of China and Russia in supporting Iran regarding the snapback and veto of the Strait of Hormuz resolution and preventing the adoption of a new resolution against Iran show that these two powers have made up their minds to support Iran.

It seems that Iran’s response will determine the course. It is also time for Tehran to consider a broader deepening of relations with Beijing and Moscow, and “comprehensive and strategic” complementary negotiations between Tehran, Moscow, and Beijing and a different position for Beijing and Moscow in Iran’s foreign policy than in the past will be considered. Or, Tehran is also likely to define its share and position in the collective security mechanism and achieve more common strategic equations with China and Russia.

Samyar Rostami, ? political observer and senior researcher in international relations. Courtesy

https://journal-neo.su/2026/07/29/attack-cannot-go-unanswered-tehrans-approach-to-the-tension-in-relations-with-ukraine/