TEHRAN: Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov condemned Ukraine's "illegal" attack on an Iranian commercial ship in the Caspian Sea during a phone call on Sunday, according to Iran's foreign ministry.
Araghchi condemned Ukraine's move as a "dangerous adventurism and clear violation of the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter," stressing that Iran would decisively defend its national security and interests, the ministry said in a statement.
Lavrov, for his part, denounced the attack as an "action in violation of international law and a threat against the trade routes between Russia and Iran," the statement added.
The two ministers also discussed regional developments following what Tehran described as the U.S. "breach of promises and imposition of insecurity on the Strait of Hormuz," according to the statement.
According to Iran's foreign ministry, the attack took place at 3:00 a.m. local time on Saturday (2330 GMT on Friday), and led to the vessel's explosion and a sailor's death, Xinhua news agency reported.
The semi-official Mehr news agency on Sunday reported that three sailors were also injured in the attack.
Earlier, Araghchi also called on the EU to take "decisive" action against Ukraine's targeting of an Iranian commercial ship in the Caspian Sea.
He made the remarks on Saturday in a phone call with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, in which the two sides discussed the latest regional developments, according to a statement by the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
Araghchi condemned the Ukrainian attack, urging the EU, UN Security Council, and international community to hold its "perpetrators" and supporters to account, according to the statement.
The two sides also addressed developments in the Strait of Hormuz, stressing the need for diplomatic initiatives to manage regional tensions, it added.
In a separate statement, the ministry said it summoned Ukraine's charge d'affaires in Tehran on Saturday over the attack, formally delivering a note of protest condemning the "hostile and criminal" act.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that Ukrainian forces had hit a Russian warship and vessels used for transporting Iran-linked military cargo in the Caspian Sea.
