TEHRAN - Russia has condemned Ukraine’s attack on an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea, stressing that it should be considered an assault on Iran itself.

“The Kyiv regime blew up an Iranian merchant vessel in the Caspian Sea. This is an attack on Iran,” Dmitry Peskov, the Russian presidency’s spokesman, said on Tuesday. He added that the strike shows how important it is to eliminate “the threat” from Ukraine.

The strike at the weekend triggered an explosion aboard the merchant ship, resulting in the death of one Iranian sailor and leaving another severely wounded.

Following the strike, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi initiated urgent high-level diplomatic outreach, holding a phone call with European Union Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas. During the discussion, Araghchi strongly condemned the Ukrainian military’s assault on civilian infrastructure. He urged the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, and the broader international community to issue an unequivocal condemnation of Kyiv’s aggression, insisting that the perpetrators, instigators, and foreign supporters of the strike be held fully accountable.

Araghchi also issued a sharp rebuke on X late Sunday, directly targeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He said, “Zelenskyy has attacked an Iranian commercial vessel, killing a sailor. A blatant UN Charter violation done at Israel's behest to drag Europe into its war. In calls with EU High Rep Kallas and FM Lavrov, I made clear that what the freeloader in Kyiv did CANNOT GO UNANSWERED.”

Concurrently, Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned Ukraine’s chargé d’affaires to deliver an official, strong protest against Kyiv's action, reiterating that attacks targeting the lives, property, and trade routes of Iranian citizens will not be tolerated.