Iran Demands Compensation After Ukrainian Drone Strike Kills 1 Crew Member On Its Ship in Caspian Sea

Iranian Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali spoke to the media about the July 11 drone attack on the Anna, an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel operating in the Caspian Sea.

The privately owned vessel was transporting industrial rolled steel when it was struck by a Ukrainian long-range uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV).

Jalali called the attack a deliberate “terrorist and criminal act,” pointing out that targeting non-military ships is in violation of international maritime laws and jeopardises commercial traffic across the Caspian shipping lane.

After the incident, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi telephoned Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and the European Union’s foreign policy chief to address the security breach.

Ukraine’s foreign minister also contacted Araghchi to provide an explanation regarding the operational error and issue an official apology on behalf of Kyiv.

He also expressed regret over the damage inflicted on the commercial vessel. Ambassador Jalali noted that Ukrainian officials accepted full responsibility for the attack and guaranteed that Ukrainian forces would not target Iranian commercial ships in future.

However, Jalali argued that Kyiv’s actions cannot be viewed in isolation from its Western allies.

He asserted that the United States and European nations, through their extensive military, intelligence, and financial support, share legal and moral responsibility for the spillover effects of Ukraine’s operations.

Iran has demanded intervention by Western governments to ensure that Ukraine adheres to international law, respects freedom of navigation in international waters, and is held accountable for its actions which endanger the safety of ships and seafarers in the region.