Mohsen Rezaei said the planned retaliation was linked to a July 25 Ukrainian attack on a vessel transporting military cargo between Iran and Russia in the Caspian Sea. "We were set to strike three sites in Ukraine, but canceled the attack following Ukraine's apology," Rezaei reportedly said. Rezaei did not provide any evidence to support his claims or specify the alleged targets, and his statements have not been independently verified. Following Kyiv's attack on the vessel, Ukraine's Security Service, the SBU, confirmed that the vessel was operating while evading international sanctions. For his part, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said he held a "frank conversation" with his Iranian counterpart.