Iran Urges EU to Act Over Ukraine's Attack on Its Merchant Ship

According to Lianhe Zaobao citing Xinhua, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday, July 25, called on the European Union to take “decisive” action over Ukraine’s attack on an Iranian merchant ship in the Caspian Sea. Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Araghchi made the remarks in a call with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, during which they also discussed the latest regional developments. The ministry said Araghchi condemned the attack and urged the EU, the U.N. Security Council and the international community to hold the “perpetrators” and their supporters accountable. It added that both sides also discussed developments in the Strait of Hormuz and stressed the need to manage regional tensions through diplomacy. In a separate statement, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said it had summoned Ukraine’s acting charge d’affaires in Tehran and formally delivered a protest note, condemning what it called a “hostile and criminal” act. Earlier that day, Iran’s Defense Ministry said the Ukrainian attack caused an Iranian vessel to explode, killing one sailor and injuring another. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that Ukrainian forces had attacked a Russian warship and several vessels used to transport military supplies linked to Iran in the Caspian Sea.