Tehran has stressed that its commercial vessel hit by a Ukrainian drone in the Caspian Sea on Saturday was carrying only civilian cargo and vowed to respond appropriately while holding Kyiv responsible for the attack.
Iran's Ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, strongly condemned the strike as a "criminal act", saying the vessel was entirely commercial and carried no military cargo, the state-run IRNA news agency reported on Monday.
"It is justified to expect that Russia will retaliate the fatal attack because it happened when the merchant ship was in Russia’s territorial waters," the envoy said, urging the Kremlin to respond.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X that, during discussions with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, he stressed that the strike, which claimed the life of an Iranian sailor, "cannot remain unanswered."
Meanwhile, the Iranian Embassy in Poland issued a formal warning to the Ukrainian leadership, saying Tehran reserves the right to respond under the United Nations Charter, according to the WANA news agency.
In a statement addressed to Ukraine's president, the mission accused Volodymyr Zelenskyy of attempting to "drag Europe and NATO into a military conflict with Iran".
"Tehran’s restraint is not endless," it warned, accusing the Ukrainian president of exceeding his authority by arming Iran's adversaries during and in the aftermath of the 40-day Israeli-U.S. war against the Islamic Republic.
In Tehran, Deputy Parliament Speaker Hamidreza Hajibabaei warned what he described as Ukraine's "taskmasters" that any mischief by their so-called "contractor" in the Caspian basin would trigger a "painful" response from the Iranian nation.
IRNA reported that the senior MP delivered the warning to Ukraine and the countries he said had "incited" Kyiv to carry out the attack during a parliamentary session on Monday.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei described the attack as "illegitimate and contrary to the UN Charter and international accords", rejecting Kyiv's claim that Tehran is linked to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
Speaking at a weekly press conference on Monday, he added that other Caspian littoral states had expressed deep concern and said Tehran had made clear to Kyiv that it would respond appropriately.
Turkmenistan said Ukraine's attack on an Iranian cargo ship in the Caspian Sea was unacceptable, stressing that the world's largest lake is a sea of peace and good neighbourliness.
"On 25 July 2026, reports were published in the international mass media concerning the attack on a sea-going vessel in the waters of the Caspian Sea. In this regard, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan declares about the inadmissibility of such actions," the ministry said in a statement.
"As a Caspian littoral state and the country with a status of permanent neutrality recognised by the United Nations, Turkmenistan underlines that the Caspian Sea is a sea of peace, harmony and good neighbourliness," the statement said.
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At least 11 people were killed in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon on Saturday, among the deadliest since a June ceasefire. Meanwhile, Qatar denied holding Iranian pilots. It said it had found the remains of one pilot after an airspace violation and had contacted Iran to coordinate a handover.
U.S. President Donald Trump says Washington is not seeking an extension of its memorandum of understanding with Iran, claiming the U.S. already controls the Strait of Hormuz through its naval blockade.
Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils the terms of an interim deal, including lifting the maritime blockade and sanctions and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.
Ukraine has targeted at least 20 Wildberries warehouses across Russia since 18 July, disrupting a major logistics network. Kyiv says the strikes aim to disrupt alleged military-linked supplies, while the attacks have caused billions of dollars in losses and wider economic pressure.
South Korea's presidential Blue House said on Monday it was reviewing U.S. President Donald Trump's comments on scaling back joint military drills. It added that it hoped a favourable relationship between Washington and Pyongyang could lead to meaningful talks.
Britain will continue to support Ukraine “100 per cent” against Russia’s invasion, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on Tuesday, after Moscow warned London of consequences over reports that British-made drones had been used in strikes on Russian territory.
Russia has summoned Japan’s ambassador to Moscow and delivered a strong protest over what it called “anti-Russian” remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi concerning four disputed islands.
Pakistan is turning to more U.S. crude as disruption around the Strait of Hormuz exposes the risks of its heavy reliance on Gulf energy supplies.
U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Commander Xavier Brunson visited South Korea's Defence Ministry on Tuesday to discuss plans to scale back the joint Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercise, according to media reports.
European countries are stepping up investment in drones and counter-drone technology as unmanned systems reshape modern warfare, driving demand for new production and capabilities across the continent.
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