Ukrainian foreign minister says he discussed keeping tension low with Iranian counterpart

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha met with Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, discussing ways to keep tensions in check. Sybiha described the meeting as a follow-up to a July phone call, focusing on mutual steps to prevent further aggravation between the two countries. The meeting follows a Ukrainian drone strike on an Iranian ship in July that killed one sailor, which Iran denounced and threatened retaliation over.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha met with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. Sybiha said the meeting was a follow-up to a telephone conversation the two held in July, and that it focused on mutual steps to prevent further aggravation of tensions between their countries. The two ministers also exchanged views on the situation in the Middle East and Europe, as well as various tracks of ongoing peace efforts. Sybiha reiterated Ukraine's position in support of a sooner restoration of peace and stability in both regions. The meeting comes after a Ukrainian drone strike on an Iranian ship in July killed one sailor and injured another, which Iran denounced and threatened retaliation. Sybiha said then that he asked Araghchi to refrain from any escalatory steps and to end any support for Russia's war against Ukraine. The article, a Reuters wire report, maintains a neutral, fact-led register throughout, with no narrative-voice loaded language or manipulation techniques detected.