Iran condemns Ukrainian strike on cargo ship in Caspian Sea, one sailor killed

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran's Foreign Ministry strongly condemned Ukraine's attack on an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea, saying one sailor was killed and another wounded. In a written statement, the ministry said the strike violated international law and reflected what it described as Kyiv's continued hostile posture toward Iran, calling the action an attempt to inflame the war and spread chaos. The ministry added that the administration of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and its backers had assumed responsibility for the attack. It did not name additional states it considered backers. Zelenskyy said on his social media account that Ukraine had targeted ships in the Caspian Sea allegedly transporting military supplies linked to Iran, along with a warship. He claimed the vessels were being used to carry military cargo. No further details on the vessel's name, owner or port of registration were immediately available in the Iranian statement.