Satellite view of Iran (with mask). This image was compiled from data acquired by the LANDSAT 5 and 7 satellites., Iran, Middle East, Asia, True Color satellite image with mask (Photo by Planet Observer/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
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Iran summoned a Ukrainian diplomat in Tehran on Sunday to protest an attack on an Iranian commercial ship in the Caspian Sea, as the war in the Middle East threatened to overlap with the conflict in Ukraine.
Iran said the attack left one person dead and several injured. The country’s Foreign Ministry complained early Sunday to Ukraine’s charge d’affaires in Tehran and “conveyed Iran’s strong protests against this ‘hostile and criminal act,'” the Islamic Republic of Iran News Agency reported. reported.
In an article on X highlighting Ukraine’s attacks on distant territories Russian targets, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that his country’s forces “have also achieved very good results with long-range strikes in the Caspian Sea – including on ships used in military cargo shipments involving Iranas well as a warship.
Russia has long used Iranian-designed Shahed drones in its war against Ukraine, a weapon that analysts sometimes refer to as “the poor man’s cruise missile”.
But Ukraine’s latest attacks, combined with Saudi army strikes Iran-backed Houthi targets in Yemen following the rebel group’s attacks on Red Sea shipping in recent days, represent a widening conflict in the Middle East.
Saudi air defenses reportedly intercepted two ballistic missiles coming from Yemen on Saturday.
The fighting in the Red Sea and Caspian Sea took place during a pause in U.S. strikes against Iran after 13 straight nights of attacks.
Asked about the pause, a senior official in President Donald Trump’s administration told Reuters that Trump “has always made it clear that his preference is diplomacy, but he has shown Iran what will happen if they fail to seriously engage at the table.”
The New York Times cited administration officials as saying that Trump had shelved, at least for the moment, his plans to sharply escalate U.S. military attacks on Iran, due to concerns over the situation. fall in stocks Patriot anti-missile interceptors and other air defense munitions.
Naval blockadeUS Central Command said Saturday evening that naval blockade against Iran remains in full force.
“As of July 25, CENTCOM had redirected 12 commercial vessels attempting to enforce the blockade, disabled 2 that had not complied, and boarded 2 to ensure full compliance,” he said in a message released Saturday evening.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps navy said it had “established complete authority over the Strait of Hormuz.” In a post published on social media platform Telegram on Sunday morning, it was stated forced six ships to anchor following warnings over the last 24 hours.
While formal high-level negotiations between the United States and Iran are at an impasse, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said. technical talks with Oman on the Strait of Hormuz continued over the weekend.
Oil prices fell Friday following reports that Pakistan was seeking a way to restart negotiations between the United States and Iran.
Brent crude futuresthe international benchmark, fell almost 4% to close at $96.78 per barrel. WE West Texas Intermediate Crude Futures lost 3% to settle at $89.31 per barrel.
Three sources told Reuters that Pakistan’s efforts to resume U.S.-Iran negotiations were supported by China.
