Iran was preparing a ballistic strike on a Ukrainian port

Some individuals familiar with the intelligence said they expected Iran to launch a ballistic missile with a small warhead at Ukraine to issue a symbolic warning but cause relatively little damage, The New York Times reports.

Other officials noted that the target was likely one of Ukraine's Black Sea ports.

Any missile launched from Iran toward Ukraine would escalate the conflict and could provoke a wider war.

Iranian officials expressed hope that the conflict would end with a retaliatory strike, while Western officials warned that it was difficult to predict how Ukraine would respond.

Photo: nfront.org.ua.