Ukraine strikes Iranian vessels in Caspian Sea; Iran summons Ukrainian chargé d'affaires

Published Jul 26, 05:11 PM UTC

On July 26, 2026, Iran summoned Ukraine's chargé d'affaires in Tehran to protest a Ukrainian attack on Iranian commercial vessels in the Caspian Sea, which killed one sailor and injured several others. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that his forces struck vessels used in military cargo shipments involving Iran, as well as a warship. The incident coincides with Saudi military strikes on Iran-backed Houthi targets in Yemen following Red Sea shipping attacks, signaling a widening of the Middle East conflict. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned the attack 'cannot go unanswered' in calls with EU and Russian officials. Meanwhile, the U.S. paused its 13-night bombing campaign against Iran to allow diplomatic space, though its naval blockade remains in full effect. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated the war with Iran will end only when the regime is toppled or sufficiently weakened to abandon its nuclear program.