Iran Planned Strike on Ukraine — What Stopped the Attack
Iran considered striking a Ukrainian port in retaliation for an attack on an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea, but diplomatic contacts helped de-escalate tensions. According to The New York Times, Iran considered launching ballistic missiles with small warheads. Ukraine denied the allegations.
Iran considered striking one of Ukraine's sea ports in retaliation for an attack on an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea, but diplomatic contacts prevented escalation. This was reported by The New York Times, citing intelligence sources. According to the report, Iran considered launching ballistic missiles with small warheads at Ukrainian territory. The strike would have been symbolic and not intended to cause significant damage. A likely target was one of Ukraine's Black Sea ports. Earlier, Ukrainian drones attacked an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea. Iran claimed the vessel was civilian, and one sailor was killed. Tehran called the incident 'extremely serious' and summoned a Ukrainian diplomat. Iran's deputy parliament speaker stated: 'Iran will not remain idle... we will make Ukraine regret this.' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denied the allegations, saying Kyiv achieved 'very strong results' against a Russian warship and vessels linked to Iran and the IRGC.