Ukraine strikes Iranian freighter in Caspian Sea; Iran threatens retaliation

The Ukraine war is increasingly binding Russia, Iran, and China together – the wartime alliance of convenience could become a permanent coalition.

Published: 30 July 2026, 17:43 UTC

Iranian-Russian product: A Shahed drone approaching Kyiv. Photo: Efrem Lukatsky/ap/dpa

By Mathias Brüggmann

Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine threatens to expand. After the Ukrainian army attacked and set fire to an Iranian freighter in the Caspian Sea, Russia's ally Iran is threatening retaliation against Ukrainian ports. Together, Russia and Iran are forming a major anti-Western axis.

Attack in the Caspian Sea

On July 25, according to consistent reports, an Iranian and a Russian freighter, as well as the accompanying missile-equipped corvette "Stupinez," were hit near the Iranian port of Bandar Anzali in the Caspian Sea.

The Iranian freighter is an 88.8-meter-long special cargo ship named "Ana," built in 1986 in the Russian city of Volgograd. It has been listed on Western sanctions lists for years.

After the attack, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted on platform "X": "Ukraine has achieved very strong results with long-range strikes in the Caspian Sea – including against ships involved in military cargo deliveries with Iran, as well as a warship."

A Signal to Russia?

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghtschi condemned the attack as a "hostile and criminal act," summoned the chargé d'affaires of the Ukrainian embassy in Tehran, and announced: "Iran does not leave actions unanswered." Ukrainian ports were to be attacked in retaliation. Araghtschi also claimed the attack was "carried out at the behest of Israel to drag Europe into its war."

"Tehran is clearly annoyed, but has only very limited options to exert military power against Ukraine," commented Saeid Golkar, an expert on Iran's military and professor at the University of Tennessee, to "Radio Liberty."

"Iran's threats seem more like signals to Russia," said Mikhail Troitsky, head of the Russia and Eurasia program at the Fletcher School of Tufts University. "Tehran needs more support from Moscow, which is probably not fulfilling all of Iran's demands for intelligence information and equipment."

According to Ukrainian and Western intelligence reports, Russia supports Iran's attacks through satellite reconnaissance of US military facilities in the Gulf. Support also comes from China. In February, after the American-Israeli attack, China and Iran had already concluded a five-billion-dollar deal in which Iran exchanges oil for drone components. Now, China is also adding CM-302 anti-ship missiles and shoulder-fired air defense missiles of the QW-12 and FN-16 types. The Beijing – Tehran – Moscow axis is thus becoming increasingly stronger. And Ukraine is pushing back with the attack on the freighter.

Iran Supplies Russia with Drones

Iran has been supplying Russia with "Shahed" drones since the 53-month invasion. Russia builds them under license and has improved them as "Geran-2," partly with jet instead of propeller drives to make them faster. Iran also delivered 122-mm and 152-mm ammunition as well as "Fatah-360" rocket launchers.

Drones designed by Iran have caused devastating damage to Ukrainian forces – especially since they are fired at Ukraine together with ballistic missiles. The military goods are shipped from the Iranian Caspian ports of Bandar Anzali and Amirabad to Makhachkala, Kaspiysk, or Astrakhan, at the head of the Russian inland waterway system Volga-Don – which leads close to the war zone.

Ukraine began attacks on targets in the Caspian Sea in 2024 – until then, only Russian ones. Ukrainian long-range drones hit Russian oil platforms in the inland sea and 12 of the 28-ship Russian flotilla in the Caspian Sea, as well as cargo ships traveling between Russia and Iran.

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