Iran is one step away from attacking Ukraine. Why did the Islamic Republic change its mind at the last moment?

The chief advisor to the Iranian leader, Mohsen Rezaee, stated that the Iranian army was planning an attack on three targets in Ukraine, in response to a Ukrainian attack on a commercial ship in the Caspian Sea. Iran accused Ukraine of aggression and considered the attack an attempt to escalate the conflict. Rezaee mentioned that the attack was canceled after Ukraine requested an apology.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reacted, emphasizing that Iran and North Korea have already contributed to the conflict in Ukraine by supplying weapons and technology to Russia. Zelensky also mentioned the positive outcomes of Ukrainian attacks in the Caspian Sea.

The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs later issued a threat to Zelensky, and on July 28, the Ukrainian foreign minister contacted his Iranian counterpart to express his desire to avoid escalating the conflict.