Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha announced a "frank discussion" by phone with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, on 28/7. Sybiha emphasized that the goal was to avoid any unnecessary escalation, stating, "Diplomacy is direct dialogue, even when it is not easy."

Sybiha affirmed to Araghchi that Ukraine's actions "are solely aimed at defending the country against Russian aggression, never intentionally targeting civilian vessels or civilians." This position, he added, applies to Iran's statements regarding its citizens killed and civilian vessels recently attacked. Sybiha accused Russia of being "the root cause of all incidents" and holding it fully responsible.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (left) and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha. Photo: AP/Reuters

Foreign Minister Araghchi later stated that his Ukrainian counterpart assured him the recent attack on the Iranian vessel was unintentional and that Kiev was not seeking to escalate tensions with Tehran. Araghchi confirmed Iran also does not wish to escalate, but clarified that "any attack targeting Iranian citizens or interests is unacceptable. Compensation must be made for the damages incurred," he wrote on X.

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Georgiy Tykhy confirmed this was the first official contact between the two foreign ministers since Sybiha assumed the role of Ukrainian Foreign Minister in 9/2024.

The phone call occurred two days after President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine had carried out long-range attacks in the Caspian Sea. These attacks targeted "vessels used for transporting Iran-related military cargo, as well as a warship." Iran's Foreign Ministry reported that the incident caused an explosion on one of its cargo ships, resulting in one sailor killed and several injured. Iran summoned Ukraine's Charge d'Affaires in Tehran to protest these "hostile and criminal acts."

Araghchi previously described Ukraine's attack in the Caspian Sea as "a dangerous adventurous act and a clear violation of the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter," emphasizing that Tehran would resolutely defend its national security and interests. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also condemned the incident as "an act violating international law, threatening trade routes between Russia and Iran."

Location of the Caspian Sea. Graphic: Britannica

Relations between Tehran and Kiev have been tense since 2022, when Russia began striking Ukrainian targets with Geran-2 suicide drones (UAVs) based on the Iranian-developed Shahed-136 model. Ukraine has offered to provide UAV interception systems and expert support to Gulf countries facing Iran's retaliatory campaign in the Middle East conflict. This includes deploying anti-UAV experts to Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait.

Huyen Le (According to AFP, CNN)