Iran cancels plans to attack three locations in Ukraine after apology request

JAKARTA - The adviser to the Supreme Leader of Iran said on Monday, Tehran was ready to launch an attack on three locations in Ukraine before canceling the operation after receiving an "apology" from Kyiv.

In an interview with Iranian state television, Mohsen Rezaei said Iran's armed forces had completed preparations for the attack before the operation was canceled, quoted by Anadolu (4/8).

Furthermore, Rezaei warned that Iran would not allow any maritime routes through the Strait of Hormuz outside of Iran's designated routes, saying any enemy naval vessel that tried to use an "illegal route" would be targeted.

He also said Iran had inflicted heavy losses on US forces during the past 17-day conflict, adding that Iranian missile and drone attacks had thwarted Washington's military objectives.

The statement came after the Mullah State accused Ukraine on July 25 of attacking an Iranian merchant ship in the Caspian Sea, which killed one crew member.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi then told Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha that Kyiv must compensate Tehran for the damage caused by the attack.

It is known that tensions have escalated across the Middle East since the US and Israel launched an attack on Iran on February 28, 2026, triggering a retaliatory attack by Tehran targeting several countries in the region.

The US and Iran agreed to a ceasefire in April and then signed a Pakistani-mediated memorandum of understanding in June to end their military conflict and reach a lasting peace deal.

However, the deal collapsed last month, with the US and Iran continuing to launch attacks on each other for almost two weeks.