TEHRAN -- Iran intensified its warnings to Ukraine on Monday over a Ukrainian drone strike on an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei declaring that the attack “will certainly not remain unanswered” and holding Ukraine’s Western backers responsible for the escalation.
Speaking at his weekly press briefing, Baghaei described the strike as “absolutely illegal, unjustifiable, contrary to the United Nations Charter, and a dangerous act of adventurism,” stressing that “all parties that consider themselves supporters and backers of the Ukrainian regime must be held accountable.”
Baghaei said Iran has consistently maintained that it has “no involvement in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia,” stressing that the attack represented an unjustified escalation against Iran rather than a consequence of the war in Eastern Europe. 
He warned that President Volodymyr Zelensky’s supporters “must control him and be careful because the actions of the Ukrainian regime could have consequences for different parts of the world.”
Drawing a historical parallel, Baghaei said Zelensky’s conduct is reminiscent of “the anarchists on the eve of the First World War whose dangerous acts ultimately engulfed all of Europe.” 
He said that attempts to stage high-profile military actions for political attention could produce consequences extending well beyond the immediate conflict.
Monday’s remarks followed a series of diplomatic contacts on Sunday by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who condemned the attack as “a blatant violation of the United Nations Charter” during separate telephone conversations with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.
Araghchi said Ukraine’s attack on the Iranian commercial vessel “cannot go unanswered” and later described the operation as having been carried out “at Israel’s instigation to drag Europe into war” in West Asia. 
During his conversation with Lavrov, Araghchi reaffirmed that “the Islamic Republic of Iran will resolutely defend its security and national interests.”
Lavrov condemned the attack, characterizing it as contrary to international law and warning that Ukraine must be held accountable for “endangering commercial shipping in the Caspian Sea.” 
The two ministers also exchanged views on broader regional developments, linking growing insecurity around strategic waterways to wider geopolitical tensions.
The Iranian government’s position has been echoed by senior lawmakers, who have described the attack as part of a broader campaign directed against Iran.
Deputy Parliament Speaker Hamidreza Haji Babaei warned that “any mischief through your stooge in the region and the Caspian Sea will be met with a regret-inducing response from the great Iranian nation.” 
Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, delivered a similar message, stating that “any attack on Iran always has a cost, and that remains true to this day.” 
He added that “Ukraine will likely
 soon realize that Iran will not leave actions against itself unanswered,” stating that previous adversaries had similarly underestimated Iran’s response.
Alongside the official reaction, former deputy foreign minister and former ambassador to Britain Mohsen Baharvand offered a broader geopolitical assessment, portraying the incident as part of a deliberate effort to widen the scope of the Ukraine conflict.
Baharvand argued that Kyiv may be attempting to attract greater Western military and financial support by expanding the conflict geographically. 
“Ukraine intends to attract attention and obtain more financial resources and weapons from the United States and Europe,” he said, adding that it could also be seeking to draw Washington into deeper military involvement or provoke a confrontation involving Iran.
He maintained that Ukraine’s increasingly aggressive operations against maritime and energy infrastructure suggest a willingness to expand military targets beyond the immediate battlefield. 
According to Baharvand, Ukraine has “lost much of its independence because of the war, and its decisions and movements are directed by third countries,” increasing the likelihood of further actions unless Kyiv receives “a serious warning to stop its new adventurism.”
Baharvand stated that direct military confrontation with Iran “has no political or military logic,” contending instead that the strike should be viewed within a wider geopolitical framework. 
In his assessment, the operation may have been intended to undermine northern transport corridors connecting Iran with Russia and disrupt emerging regional trade routes.
He also challenged the view that deteriorating relations between Iran and Europe stem primarily from Ukrainian lobbying, arguing instead that Europe adopted a confrontational approach after Tehran maintained diplomatic engagement with Moscow and supported regional connectivity projects. 
“It is not Ukrainian propaganda that pushes Europe toward confrontation with Iran,” he said. “Rather, Ukraine’s actions may have been carried out with Europe’s knowledge or even at its instruction.”
While saying that more evidence would be needed to determine the full scope of external involvement, Baharvand added that “the influence of Zionism in Ukraine’s actions cannot be ruled out”.
Kyiv’s decisions should be viewed within a broader geopolitical context rather than as isolated military operations, he said.