Tehran: Iran was prepared to launch strikes on three sites in Ukraine before scrapping the operation after an 'apology' from Kyiv, a top military adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said Monday. In an interview with Iranian state television, Mohsen Rezaei revealed that Iran's armed forces had completed preparations for the strikes before the operation was called off.

According to Anadolu Agency, Rezaei also warned that Iran would not allow any maritime route through the Strait of Hormuz outside Iran's designated route, emphasizing that any hostile naval vessel attempting to use an 'illegal route' would be targeted. He further claimed that Iran had inflicted heavy losses on US forces during the recent 17-day conflict, adding that Iranian missile and drone attacks had successfully thwarted Washington's military objectives.

The remarks followed accusations by Iran against Ukraine on July 25, alleging that Ukraine had attacked an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea, resulting in the death of one crew member. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi subsequently demanded compensation from his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha for the damage caused by the attack.

Tensions have been escalating across the Middle East since the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran in February, which triggered retaliatory strikes by Tehran targeting several countries across the region. Although the US and Iran agreed to a ceasefire in April and signed a Pakistan-mediated memorandum of understanding in June aimed at ending their military conflict and establishing a lasting peace agreement, the deal collapsed last month. This led to nearly two weeks of exchanged attacks between the US and Iran.