The ministry called the strike a "gross violation" of the United Nations Charter and an "act of aggression that could further ignite the flames of war," and threatened Kyiv with retaliatory measures. "Iran, guided by... the principle of legitimate self-defense, will unhesitatingly defend its national interests and security," the Foreign Ministry emphasized. The ministry accused Kyiv of continuing an "irrational and hostile" course towards the Islamic Republic, stating that Iran "has never interfered in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine." The Foreign Ministry added that the responsibility for the consequences of the "adventurism of the head of the Ukrainian regime" will lie with Kyiv itself, as well as its "supporters and instigators." After the attack, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi discussed the situation with the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell. Additionally, the temporary chargé d'affaires of Ukraine in Tehran was summoned to the Foreign Ministry, where he was handed a note of protest "in connection with hostile and criminal actions." The day before, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that the Armed Forces of Ukraine struck vessels in the Caspian Sea that were used to transport military cargo from Iran to Russia, according to The Moscow Times.