In an interview with Sky News, Vladimir Zelensky claimed that Tehran is involved in the Ukraine conflict because of its alliance with Moscow. He said Kiev must proceed with extreme caution to avoid the emergence of another front.

Zelensky argued that Iran had provided Russia with a new base and new technologies from the first year of the conflict. On that basis, he said Iran had effectively attacked Ukraine.

He also pointed to the support Russia allegedly receives from Iran and North Korea, insisting that both countries should be recognized as already fighting against Ukraine.

On July 25, Iran’s Foreign Ministry reported that Ukrainian forces had attacked an Iranian merchant vessel in the Caspian Sea. An explosion killed one sailor and injured another crew member.

Tehran described the strike as an act of aggression and accused Kiev of trying to expand the conflict beyond the current combat zone. Ukraine’s chargé d’affaires was summoned to the Iranian Foreign Ministry and handed an official protest. Iranian authorities also warned that attacks on the country’s citizens would not go unanswered.