In brief
On July 25, Ukrainian drones hit an Iranian cargo ship, killing one crew member and injuring another. Ukraine said it was targeting military cargo transports.
Iran considered launching a ballistic missile with a small warhead at a Ukrainian Black Sea port, but diplomacy has calmed the situation for now, according to officials cited by The New York Times.
On July 28, Ukraine's Andrii Sybiha called Iran's Abbas Araghchi, both saying they do not seek escalation. Sybiha demanded Iran end support for Russia's war.
Israeli FM Gideon Saar spoke with Sybiha about the Iran threat, while Zelensky and Netanyahu met separately with President Trump at the White House on July 28.
- 25 JulUkrainian drones strike Iranian cargo ship in Caspian Sea, killing one sailor.
- 26 JulIranian FM Araghchi says attack 'cannot go unanswered'.
- 28 JulUkrainian FM Sybiha calls Araghchi; both say they do not seek escalation.
- 28 JulNYT reports Iran considered retaliatory missile strike on Ukrainian port but diplomacy calmed situation.
The Caspian Sea strike
On Saturday, July 25, Ukrainian drones struck an Iranian commercial cargo ship in the Caspian Sea, causing an explosion that killed one sailor and injured another. President Volodymyr Zelensky said the operation targeted vessels "involved in transporting military cargo with Iran's participation" and a Russian warship. Iran's foreign ministry immediately condemned the attack as a violation of the UN Charter, insisting Tehran "never interfered" in the war, despite its well-documented supply of Shahed drones and, according to the U.S., short-range ballistic missiles to Russia.
Iran's retaliation threat and diplomatic call
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday, July 26, that the attack "cannot go unanswered". The New York Times reported on July 28 that Iran had considered firing a ballistic missile with a small warhead at a Ukrainian Black Sea port, aiming for a symbolic strike with limited damage. Western officials warned that any such missile launch would risk a wider war.
On Tuesday, July 28, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called Araghchi. Sybiha acknowledged that a civilian ship was hit and an Iranian national killed, but stressed the attack was unintentional and that Ukraine does not seek escalation. He urged Iran to halt all support for Russia's war.
“I emphasised the necessity to refrain from any escalatory steps, as well as to end any support for Russia's war against Ukraine. This war is illegal and it must end.”
Araghchi wrote on X that Sybiha assured him the strike was "unintentional" and that Ukraine had no desire to escalate. "Iran does not seek escalation either, but made clear any attack on our citizens or interests is unacceptable. There must be restitution for losses," he said. The call was the first direct contact between the two ministers since Sybiha took office in 2024. After the conversation, officials said the immediate crisis had calmed.
Background of drone warfare and cooperation
Russia has launched barrages of Iranian-designed Shahed drones at Ukraine since 2022. In response, Ukraine developed advanced counter-drone systems. After the U.S. and Israel began military operations against Iran in February 2026, Kyiv sent more than 200 military experts to help Gulf states defend against Iranian drone attacks. This cooperation sharpened the antagonism between Kyiv and Tehran. Earlier, Sybiha had told Iran it had "no standing to pretend to be a victim" given its military support for Moscow.
Israel and the wider context
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar spoke with Sybiha on July 28, discussing "the challenges facing our nations, including the threat posed by Iran". He said he looked forward to deepening cooperation with Ukraine. Araghchi separately accused Israel of provoking the Ukrainian attack in an attempt to "drag Europe into its war". The same day, Zelensky and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held separate meetings with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House. Senior Iranian lawmaker Ebrahim Azizi, head of parliament's national security commission, warned that "any attack on Iran always comes with a cost".