Ukraine and Iran sought to ease tensions Tuesday after Kyiv said it did not intend to target an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea, while Tehran demanded compensation for losses following an attack that killed one Iranian sailor.
The diplomatic outreach came days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv had carried out long-range strikes in the Caspian Sea against vessels carrying military cargo linked to Iran.
Following a phone call with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he had been assured that the reported strike on the Iranian vessel was unintentional.
"I was assured by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha that the attack on an Iranian ship was unintentional and Ukraine seeks no escalation," Araghchi wrote on X.
He said Iran also does not seek escalation but stressed that attacks on Iranian citizens or national interests are "unacceptable."
