Abbas Araghchi, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic, who had warned two days earlier that Ukraine’s attack on an Iran-linked vessel in the Caspian Sea “would not go unanswered,” declared on Tuesday that Tehran was not seeking to escalate tensions.
Writing on the social media platform X on Tuesday, July 28, Araghchi stated that Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha had assured him during a phone call that the attack on the Iranian vessel was “unintentional” and that Kyiv did not seek an escalation.
The Islamic Republic’s Foreign Minister added: “Iran is also not seeking to escalate tensions, but we clearly stated that any attack on our citizens or interests is unacceptable and that the damages incurred must be compensated.”
In response, Andrii Sybiha also posted on X, confirming that he had had a “candid” conversation with Araghchi and emphasizing that Ukraine’s goal was to avoid unnecessary escalation.
Sybiha wrote that all of Ukraine’s military actions were conducted strictly in self-defense against Russian aggression and were never aimed at targeting civilian vessels or non-combatants.
