Iran planned strikes on Ukraine but backed down after Kyiv's 'apology'

Iran had prepared to carry out strikes on three sites in Ukraine but called off the operation after Kyiv apologised for an attack on a vessel carrying military cargo between Iran and Russia, a senior adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader has claimed.According to Iranian state broadcaster PressTV, Mohsen Rezaei said Tehran had planned retaliatory strikes following a July 25 Ukrainian operation targeting a ship in the Caspian Sea that was transporting military supplies between Iran and Russia."We were set to strike three sites in Ukraine, but canceled the attack following Ukraine's apology," Rezaei said, according to PressTV.Rezaei did not provide any evidence to support the claim or identify the alleged targets. His remarks have not been independently verified.The tensions stem from Ukraine's reported strike on the vessel, which Iran condemned as "an act of aggression" and warned "cannot go unanswered". Following the operation, Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) said the ship had been operating while evading international sanctions.Diplomatic efforts appeared to defuse the crisis days later. On July 28, Ukraine's Acting Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha held a phone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi after Tehran formally protested the strike.According to Iranian officials, Ukraine described the attack as unintentional during the discussions, and Araghchi said Iran was not seeking further escalation.Sybiha later described the call as a "frank conversation" and said he had made Ukraine's position clear."I reiterated that all of Ukraine's actions are aimed solely at defending our country from Russian aggression and never intended to target civilian vessels or people," Sybiha said following the conversation.The reported decision to abandon the planned strikes comes as Iran faces mounting regional tensions. On Tuesday, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reportedly launched drones at a US military base in Kuwait, while maritime security agencies investigated an incident involving a cargo vessel struck by an unidentified projectile off the coast of Oman.The developments also coincide with renewed uncertainty over US-Iran diplomacy. US President Donald Trump claimed Washington had paused planned military action against Iran to allow negotiations after requests from Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. However, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei denied that Tehran was engaged in direct or indirect talks with the United States.Relations between Ukraine and Iran have remained strained since Tehran began supplying Shahed drones to Russia in 2022 and later licensed their production in Russia, making Iran one of Moscow's key military partners in the war against Ukraine.Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.