Ukrainian foreign minister says he warned Iranian counterpart against escalation, support for Russia

July 28 (Reuters) - Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on Tuesday he called his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araqchi, following Iran's denunciation of a Ukrainian drone attack on one of its ships, warned him against escalation and told him to end all support for Russia.

"I emphasised the necessity to refrain from any escalatory steps, as well as to end any support for Russia’s war against Ukraine. This war is illegal and it must end," Sybiha wrote on X of his conversation with Araqchi.

Iran confirmed the conversation had taken place.

Araqchi said on Sunday that the Ukrainian attack on an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea, which killed one sailor and injured another, "cannot go unanswered".

In his comments, Sybiha said Ukraine's actions were "aimed solely at defending our country from Russian aggression and never intended to target civilian vessels or people".

In more than four years of conflict with Russia, Ukraine has faced barrages of Iranian-designed drones.

Kyiv has, over that time, developed technology to counter drone threats and has offered its assistance to Middle Eastern countries facing strikes launched this year by Tehran.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, meanwhile, wrote on X that he had spoken to Sybiha and "discussed the challenges facing our nations, including the threat posed by Iran."

He said he looked forward to deepening cooperation with Ukraine.

(Reporting by Ron Popeski; Editing by Nia Williams)