BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 26. Iran's Ministry of
Foreign Affairs has issued a statement condemning what it described
as Ukraine's attack on an Iranian merchant vessel in the Caspian
Sea.
The statement was published on the official website of Iran's
Foreign Ministry.
According to the Iranian side, the incident occurred on the
morning of Aug. 25. The vessel was damaged in the attack, with one
sailor killed and another injured.
Tehran said it views the incident as a violation of Article 2(4)
of the United Nations Charter and "an act of aggression" that could
further escalate the conflict.
Iran also reiterated that it has not been involved in the
conflict between Russia and Ukraine and called on the UN Security
Council, European countries and all UN member states to assess the
incident.
"Any party concerned about peace and security in Eastern Europe
and the surrounding regions must take a responsible stance against
this dangerous action by the Ukrainian regime and hold the
Ukrainian government accountable," the statement said.
Tehran also stated that Iran "will not hesitate to defend its
national interests and security in accordance with the fundamental
principles and rules of international law, especially the principle
of self-defense."
