TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held separate telephone conversations on Tuesday with his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha and the European Union's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, as Tehran intensified diplomatic efforts to contain regional tensions while insisting on accountability for the recent attack on an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea.

The parallel diplomatic contacts reflect Iran's broader approach of combining firm responses to attacks on its interests with continued engagement aimed at preventing further escalation and preserving regional stability.

In a post on X following his conversation with Sybiha, Araghchi said the Ukrainian foreign minister had assured him that the attack on the Iranian vessel was "unintentional" and that Kyiv was seeking to avoid any escalation with Iran.

"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.

The phone call came days after Ukraine's strike on an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea, which killed one Iranian sailor and wounded another.

Tehran strongly condemned the incident as an act of aggression, summoned Ukraine's chargé d'affaires to lodge an official protest, and demanded that Kyiv accept responsibility for the attack and compensate for the resulting damages.

Earlier on Tuesday, Sybiha said Ukraine had no intention of provoking "unnecessary escalation" with Iran, maintaining that Kyiv's military operations are directed solely at defending Ukraine against Russia rather than targeting civilian vessels or individuals.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had previously stated that Ukrainian forces had targeted ships claiming to be involved in transporting military cargo linked to Iran, although he did not identify any specific vessel.

Alongside the exchange with Kyiv, Araghchi also held a telephone conversation with European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas as part of Tehran's ongoing diplomatic consultations with regional and international partners.

According to the Iranian Foreign Ministry, the two officials reviewed the latest regional and international developments and exchanged views on ways to reduce tensions and preserve regional peace, stability and security.

The discussions focused on diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation amid growing regional uncertainty, underscoring Tehran's stated preference for resolving disputes through political dialogue while safeguarding its national interests.

Taken together, the two phone calls highlight Iran's diplomatic strategy following the Caspian Sea incident. While insisting that attacks on Iranian citizens and commercial assets are unacceptable and must carry consequences, Tehran is simultaneously engaging both directly with Ukraine and through broader consultations with the European Union to prevent the dispute from expanding into a wider regional confrontation.

Iranian officials have repeatedly maintained that accountability and diplomacy are complementary rather than contradictory, arguing that preserving regional stability requires both respect for international law and sustained diplomatic engagement among the parties involved.