The unusual documentation from Graham's funeral: The conversation between Netanyahu and Zelensky
For the first time in nearly three years, Prime Minister Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Zelensky were seen talking before the funeral ceremony of Senator Lindsey Graham. The meeting takes place against the backdrop of a Ukrainian attack on Iranian vessels in the Caspian Sea, sharp accusations from Tehran that Kyiv is acting on Israel's behalf, and threats of ballistic missiles. At the same time, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart and invited him to visit Israel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky were seen talking this evening (Tuesday) at the National Cathedral in Washington, before the start of the funeral ceremony for Senator Lindsey Graham, who was one of the most prominent supporters of Israel and Ukraine in Congress. This is the first meeting between the two since September 2023, and it comes at a time of peak tension between Iran and Ukraine after Kyiv struck an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea, claiming it was smuggling military cargo to Russia.
The attack was carried out on Saturday, when, according to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), drones hit an oil platform of the Russian company Lukoil, a missile ship, and two cargo ships that were under sanctions. Volodymyr Zelensky announced "very powerful results" in the Caspian Sea, and Iran stated that one sailor was killed and others were wounded. On Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused Ukraine of receiving instructions from Israel, writing that "the act of the parasite from Kyiv cannot remain unanswered!", and yesterday (Monday) Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei warned that "the adults responsible for Zelensky must restrain him."
Against the backdrop of the threats, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha spoke today (Tuesday) with Araghchi. "Diplomacy is a direct conversation, even when it is difficult," Sybiha wrote on the X network, adding that he clarified to his colleague that Ukraine's actions are "aimed solely at defending our state from Russian aggression, and were never intended to harm civilian vessels or people." He emphasized to him the "necessity to avoid any escalatory steps, as well as to put an end to any support for Russia's war against Ukraine," and stated that full responsibility for all incidents and all casualties lies with Moscow.
Araghchi wrote afterwards on the X network: "I received an assurance from Ukrainian Foreign Minister Sybiha that the attack on an Iranian ship was not intentional and that Ukraine does not seek escalation. Iran also does not seek escalation, but we made it clear that any attack against our citizens or our interests is unacceptable. There must be compensation for the damages." Sybiha, for his part, did not mention compensation in his statement, and did not even confirm that Ukraine attacked an Iranian ship.
In Tehran, a hawkish line against Kyiv is emerging. Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesman for the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee in the Majlis, attacked Araghchi for the very fact of holding the conversation and wrote on X: "The Foreign Minister, instead of expelling the charge d'affaires of the Ukrainian embassy, answers the call of the Ukrainian clown's foreign minister, and in defending the interests of the aggressor, claims that the attack on the Iranian ship was not intentional! It is impossible to humiliate Iran in a more obvious way."
At the same time, maps were distributed in pro-Iranian channels according to which the entire territory of Ukraine is within the range of Iran's ballistic missiles.
In Tehran, they continue to claim that Iran "never interfered in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine," but its involvement in the war in Europe has continued almost from its beginning. The supply of Shahed-136 drones to Moscow began in 2022, and since 2023, Russia has been producing the suicide drones itself in more advanced versions. According to reports in the West, during the war, Russia transferred to Iran the improved models it developed, and provided it with intelligence for precise strikes on American bases.
The Caspian Sea was a central artery on this axis, as Iranian and Russian ships used to turn off their tracking systems and transfer cargo between the Iranian ports of Anzali and Amirabad and the Russian port of Astrakhan. Last March, the Israeli Air Force attacked Iranian Navy targets in Bandar Anzali for the first time, in Operation "Lion's Roar."
Relations between Israel and Ukraine have remained complex throughout the war. Jerusalem condemned the Russian invasion and transferred extensive humanitarian aid to Kyiv, but consistently refrained from supplying weapons, out of a desire not to anger Moscow. In the days after October 7, Volodymyr Zelensky asked to come to Israel for a solidarity visit, but was told that "it is not the right time."
Since Iran began attacking Gulf states, Ukraine has sent 228 experts to the region to assist in intercepting drones, and has signed security agreements with the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, but Volodymyr Zelensky himself did not come to Israel during his recent visit to the region.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, during whose tenure relations with Kyiv warmed slightly, wrote today (Tuesday) on the X network that he spoke with Sybiha. "We discussed the challenges facing our countries, including the threat posed by Iran," Sa'ar wrote, adding that he expressed "deep sorrow for the heavy losses suffered by the Ukrainian people in the war" and wished a full recovery to the wounded. He also noted that he invited Sybiha to visit Israel on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the countries. "Israel and Ukraine are friends, and I look forward to further deepening the cooperation between us, including through the establishment of new training centers in hospitals in Ukraine," he wrote.
