Iran threatens to attack UKRAINE after drone hits regime’s ship in chilling sign two major conflicts could merge

IRAN is threatening to attack Ukraine in retaliation for a drone strike on one of its ships carrying military hardware to Russia. Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the strike in the Caspian Sea as he also revealed Russia has been passing satellite images to Iran to help it attack American bases. A bomb attached to a Ukrainian drone ready to be deployed Credit: Getty A view of a pier on a coast of the Caspian Sea near the city of Noshahr, 96 miles north of Tehran Credit: Getty He said Ukraine had “achieved very strong results with long‑range strikes in the Caspian Sea – including vessels used in military cargo shipments involving Iran, as well as a warship.” And he added: “Since the beginning of July, we have recorded active Russian satellite surveillance of the Gulf states and U.S. military facilities located there. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! “These images subsequently appear in Iran. There is a clear correlation between Russia’s satellite imagery of these sites and Iranian strikes.” He said Ukraine will share the intelligence with allies, raising fears that the world’s two major conflicts could merge into one. The Caspian Sea – the world’s largest inland waterway – is bordered by Russia and Iran and has long been used as a supply route between the two sanctioned countries. Tehran uses it to ship military hardware such as Shahed drones to Russia to help its war against Ukraine, which has been disrupting deliveries with long-range strikes. The latest drone attack on the ship, which killed one sailor and injured another, took place in the early hours of Saturday. Tehran reacted furiously, summoning Ukraine’s chief diplomat in Iran for a dressing down and threatening to retaliate. Most read in The Sun Residents mourn following an air attack in Kharkiv on July 26, 2026 Credit: AFP Firefighters work at the site of a household item shopping mall which was hit by a Russian drone strike in Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk region Credit: Reuters Tehran and Kyiv are only 1,200 miles apart and both possess ballistic missiles which could easily reach each other. Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the attack would not go unanswered.Analysts said the development is a clear indication that the war is widening. American foreign policy expert Paul Musgrave, an associate professor at Qatar’s Georgetown University, said: “We are looking at global energy markets being drawn in, and that’s going to draw in everywhere where there’s global energy supplies.” Ukraine also revealed that Russia is planning to escalate its troop mobilisation in the autumn, including drafting another 30,000 troops from North Korea, ready for a renewed winter assault. Meanwhile, there has been a lull in daily attacks between America and Iran, but an oil tanker was reported to have exploded after hitting a mine in the Strait of Hormuz. It is said to have happened when the vessel left the Tehran-approved northern route and headed into waters still mined as part of Iran’s attempt to control the waterway. It is not known if there were any casualties. Despite Donald Trump threatening to ramp up attacks last week after nearly a fortnight of daily exchanges since the peace deal collapsed there were none over the weekend. In response, Iran halted its targeting of US bases in the region. Some analysts said it may signal America’s desire to re-start negotiations, while others reckon it is due to short-term supply issues with Patriot interceptors and other defensive weapons. Comment now