Satellite photo 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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As the Middle East war threatens to overlap with the Ukraine conflict, Iran on Sunday summoned Ukrainian diplomats in Tehran to protest attacks on Iranian commercial ships in the Caspian Sea.
Iran said the attack killed one sailor and injured several others. Iran’s Foreign Ministry lodged a complaint early Sunday morning with Ukraine’s charge d’affaires in Tehran, “conveying Iran’s strong protest against the ‘hostile and criminal act,'” the Islamic Republic of Iran News Agency reported.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday in a post on X highlighting Ukraine’s attacks on distant Russian targets that his country’s military “made very strong results in long-range attacks in the Caspian Sea, including not only on warships, but also on vessels used for military cargo transport with Iran.”
Russia has long used the Iranian-designed Shahid drone in its war against Ukraine, a weapon sometimes referred to by analysts as a “poor man’s cruise missile.”
But the recent attacks by Ukraine, which follow rebel attacks on ships in the Red Sea in recent days, and coupled with Saudi military strikes against Iranian-backed Houthi targets in Yemen, represent an escalation in the Middle East conflict.
Saudi Arabia’s air defense forces reportedly intercepted two ballistic missiles from Yemen on Saturday.
The fighting in the Red Sea and Caspian Sea occurred during a 13-night hiatus in U.S. attacks on Iran.
Asked about the suspension, a senior official in President Donald Trump’s administration told Reuters that Trump “has always made it clear that diplomacy is a priority, but we’ve shown Iran what will happen if they don’t get serious about coming to the negotiating table.”
The New York Times cited administration officials as saying that President Trump has shelved, at least for now, plans to rapidly escalate a U.S. military attack on Iran amid concerns about dwindling stockpiles of Patriot anti-missile interceptors and other air defense munitions.
naval blockade
U.S. Central Command announced late Saturday that the naval blockade against Iran remains in full effect.
“As of July 25, CENTCOM has diverted 12 commercial vessels that were attempting to enforce the blockade, disabled two that did not comply, and embarked two to ensure full compliance,” it said in a post on X late Saturday.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said it had “established full authority over the Strait of Hormuz.” In a post on social media platform Telegram early Sunday morning, it said six ships had been forced to berth following warnings in the past 24 hours.
Formal high-level negotiations between the United States and Iran have stalled, but Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghai said technical talks with Oman in the Strait of Hormuz continued over the weekend.
Oil prices fell on Friday after reports that Pakistan was exploring ways to restart negotiations between the United States and Iran.
Brent crude oil futures, the international benchmark, fell nearly 4% to close at $96.78 per barrel. US West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures fell 3% to settle at $89.31 per barrel.
Three sources told Reuters that Pakistan’s efforts to restart U.S.-Iranian talks were supported by China.
