OREANDA-NEWS   Ukraine is trying to quarrel between Moscow and Tehran by creating tension in the Caspian Sea, Iranian Vice President Mohammad-Reza Aref said.

"We must not allow it to achieve its goals of creating problems and hindrances between our states," he said at a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin in Dushanbe.

According to him, safe navigation in the Caspian Sea will strengthen bilateral relations, including in the field of food supplies. He expressed his intention to increase the security of the northern Iranian ports and expects similar measures from Moscow in relation to the southern Russian ones.

As the Iranian Foreign Ministry reported, on July 25, Ukrainian militants attacked an Iranian merchant ship in the Caspian Sea using drones. One sailor was killed and another was injured. Tehran said it reserves the right to respond to the attack.

As Vladimir Putin noted, relations between Russia and Iran are in the nature of a comprehensive strategic partnership. According to him, the trade turnover between the two countries increased by more than 21 percent last year and this trend continues in the first seven months of 2026.