ISTANBUL — A senior adviser to Iran’s supreme leader claimed that Tehran had prepared to strike three sites in Ukraine before canceling the operation after what he described as an “apology” from Kyiv, according to Iranian media.
In an interview with Iranian state television, Mohsen Rezaei said Iran’s armed forces had completed preparations for the strikes before the operation was called off.
The remarks came after Iran accused Ukraine on July 25 of attacking an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea, killing one crew member.
“We were set to strike three sites in Ukraine, but canceled the attack following Ukraine’s apology,” Rezaei said.
Rezaei did not provide any evidence to support his claims or specify the alleged targets, and his statements have not been independently verified.
Iran condemned the Ukrainian strike as “an act of aggression” and warned that it “cannot go unanswered.”
Following Kyiv’s attack on the vessel, Ukraine’s Security Service, the SBU, confirmed that the vessel was operating while evading international sanctions.
The tensions appeared to ease after Acting Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha spoke by phone with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on July 28, with Araghchi saying Ukraine had described the strike as unintentional and that Tehran was not seeking further escalation.
For his part, Sybiha said he held a “frank conversation” with his Iranian counterpart.
“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 after Tehran protested the operation.
Araghchi later told Sybiha that Ukraine should compensate Tehran for the damage caused by the attack.
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 during its full-scale invasion.
Source: Saudi Gazette