Ukrainian foreign minister says he warned Iranian counterpart against escalation, support for Russia

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on Tuesday he called his Iranian counterpart, Abbas ​Araqchi, following Iran's denunciation of a Ukrainian drone attack ‌on one of its ships, warned him against escalation and told him to end all support for Russia.
"I emphasised the ​necessity to refrain from any escalatory steps, ​as well as to end any support for ⁠Russia’s war against Ukraine. This war is illegal and ​it must end," Sybiha wrote on X of his ​conversation with Araqchi.
Iran confirmed the conversation had taken place.
Araqchi said on Sunday that the Ukrainian attack on an Iranian commercial ​vessel in the Caspian Sea, which killed one sailor ​and injured another, "cannot go unanswered".
In his comments, Sybiha said Ukraine's actions ‌were "aimed ⁠solely at defending our country from Russian aggression and never intended to target civilian vessels or people".
In more than four years of conflict with Russia, Ukraine ​has faced barrages ​of Iranian-designed ⁠drones.
Kyiv has, over that time, developed technology to counter drone threats and has ​offered its assistance to Middle Eastern countries ​facing ⁠strikes launched this year by Tehran.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, meanwhile, wrote on X that he had spoken to Sybiha and "discussed ⁠the ​challenges facing our nations, including ​the threat posed by Iran."
He said he looked forward to deepening cooperation ​with Ukraine.


-Reuters