Iran weighed ballistic missile response to Ukraine following strike on ship - report

Officials with knowledge of events anticipated a limited ballistic missile launch by Iran against Ukraine to demonstrate resolve.

ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF, REUTERS

JULY 29, 2026 10:48

Updated: JULY 29, 2026 11:04

Iran reportedly weighed striking a Ukrainian seaport along the Black Sea in retaliation for a Ukrainian attack on an Iranian vessel but ultimately refrained after intense diplomatic exchanges, according to Iranian and Western officials speaking to The New York Times.

Those familiar with the discussions expected Iran to launch a ballistic missile carrying a modest warhead toward Ukraine purely as a demonstration of power, the NYT reported. Such a move would have marked a sharp escalation and could have opened a fresh conflict zone given Tehran's ties to Moscow.

Zelensky reports Ukrainian strikes on Russian warship and Iran-linked cargo vessels

Ukrainian forces targeted a Russian warship along with vessels carrying military cargo connected to Iran in the Caspian Sea, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Saturday.

The Kremlin stated on Tuesday that a Ukrainian strike on an Iranian ship in the Caspian Sea amounted to an attack on Iran and underscored the need to remove what it described as the threat posed by Kyiv.

Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned the Ukrainian action on Saturday, noting that the resulting explosion killed one sailor and wounded another.

Kremlin labels Ukrainian actions as terrorist attacks

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday charged Ukraine with expanding the reach of what he termed terrorist operations.

Peskov also accused Kyiv of sabotaging Germany's Nord Stream pipelines, a claim Ukraine rejects, and of damaging Kazakhstan's interests through strikes on CPC Pipeline infrastructure.

This threat must be neutralized and eliminated, Peskov said.