Iranian Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali said Tehran expects compensation from the Ukrainian government over the attack on an Iranian-flagged commercial ship in the Caspian Sea. Jalali said one person was killed and several others were injured in the attack.
Jalali argued that the ship was a civilian vessel carrying commercial cargo and that the attack was deliberate. Jalali said Ukraine’s foreign minister contacted Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, issued a statement and apologized, adding that Kyiv had accepted responsibility for the attack and given assurances that a similar incident would not happen again.
Compensation talks continue
The Iranian ambassador said talks with Ukraine on compensation were continuing and that they hoped to achieve results. He said Tehran was currently focused on seeking compensation for the damage to the ship and for those affected by the incident, rather than on a possible military response against Kyiv.
Jalali argued that European countries and the United States should also ensure that Kyiv assumes responsibility for its actions because of the support they have provided to Ukraine. He also claimed that civilians had been killed in attacks on economic facilities in the Republic of Tatarstan and criticized Western countries’ approach to these incidents as political and selective.
No date set for Lavrov’s visit to Iran
Jalali said no date had yet been set for Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s visit to Iran. He said consultations between senior officials of the two countries remained on the agenda and that the date of the visit would be announced at an appropriate time.
Jalali said they welcomed Russia’s proposal to mediate dialogue between Iran and the Arab countries and described Moscow as a true friend in difficult times. He said Tehran was ready to cooperate with any Russian role aimed at improving its relations with neighboring countries.
Iran keeps the door to diplomacy open
Commenting on the possibility of diplomatic contact with the United States, Jalali said the window for diplomacy would never close completely. He said Iran would continue to remain ready for negotiations and dialogue while also strengthening its military preparedness, arguing that the two approaches were not contradictory.
Jalali claimed that the deployment of U.S. ships far from Iran’s shores indicated that Washington may have received the message delivered earlier. Reiterating his previous statement that Iran had damaged the U.S. aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, Jalali also acknowledged that some reports about the condition of American military personnel and equipment had not been confirmed by the Pentagon or U.S. officials.
Infrastructure and energy projects with Russia
Jalali said talks were continuing between Iran and Russia on various infrastructure and economic projects, identifying the Rasht–Astara railway project as a priority. He said an agreement had been reached on the implementation contract for the project, which forms part of the International North–South Transport Corridor, and that the signing was being planned.
Jalali said concrete talks were taking place on energy cooperation, including the transportation of Russian gas to Iran and the construction of the necessary infrastructure. He said work at the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant was continuing, adding that cooperation between the two countries was not limited to the political level.
Concerns over attacks on nuclear facilities
Jalali also commented on reports that the United States was considering a plan to seize Iran’s stocks of enriched uranium at its nuclear facilities. The Iranian ambassador argued that the United States and Israel had attacked facilities covered by international safeguards, saying the actions of nuclear-armed states against a non-nuclear-armed country were a source of concern.
Jalali claimed that the International Atomic Energy Agency had not directly condemned the development. He said Iran and the international community were concerned about the weakening of the international nuclear nonproliferation regime.
Accusations over attack on school in Iran
Jalali said the United States had denied responsibility for an attack on a school in Iran in July and had stated that it had not targeted children. He argued that fragments of Tomahawk missiles had been found at the scene and that various pieces of evidence showed the target was an active girls’ primary school, criticizing the United States for rejecting these claims.
The Iranian ambassador said the tragedy experienced by the girls killed in the attack and their families would not be forgotten. He argued that those responsible and those who encouraged the attack should be brought to justice.
