Iran has warned Volodymyr Zelensky it will avenge an attack by Ukraine on one of its ships. The commercial vessel was struck in the Caspian Sea, killing one sailor and injuring several others, despite Washington signalling a pause in fighting. The incident has raised alarm that the two fronts, Ukraine and Iran, could merge as warring parties draw closer—Ukraine and the West, and Iran with Russia.
It is said the US may return to attacking Iran on a larger and escalatory scale after meetings between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump.
Ukraine's Account and Iran's Response
Ukraine said it had targeted a Russian warship and vessels used for transporting Iranian-linked military cargo in the Caspian Sea. But Iran's Foreign Ministry said Iran “has never intervened in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.”
Ebrahim Azizi, head of the Tehran parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, said on Monday: “Any attack on Iran always comes with a cost, and that remains true today; the US and Israel are well aware of this. Ukraine, too, may soon come to understand that Iran does not let actions go unanswered.”
Zelensky's Remarks and US Actions
Before setting off for a meeting with UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Zelensky added: “Since the beginning of July, we have recorded active Russian satellite surveillance of the Gulf states and US military facilities located there. These images subsequently appear in Iran.”
The US has halted attacks on Iran for a third night as talks on a way out of the war continue. It was Zelensky's first face-to-face meeting with the UK Prime Minister since the former Manchester Mayor took office.
Military Movements and Interceptions
Both sides, Iran and the US, are preparing their militaries for another escalation. Sources told the Daily Mirror Iran has spent the past 48 hours moving military material including rockets, missiles and drones from hiding spots in the east to the west. Much of Tehran’s arsenal is thought to have been moved to the east months ago and it still has enough weaponry to engage in warfighting for months. There have been as many as nine interceptions by Israel of weaponry being smuggled from Iran to Lebanese Hezbollah via Israel.
A UK source told the Daily Mirror: “The US has paused its attacks for now but it could easily resume the offensive action after Netanyahu leaves the States. There has been a significant movement of arms in Iran from east to west and it is believed some of this equipment has come from China and Russia. There is a feeling that Iran could pre-emptively strike Israel and Hezbollah is thought to have been re-supplied to a degree by Iran, although there have been a lot of interdictions of weaponry. It is doubtful there will be a return to fighting until after Netanyahu returns.”
