Azerbaijan's State Maritime Agency stated that an Iranian cargo ship has been involved in an accident near a port in the city of Lankaran. According to Azerbaijani media, the vessel with Iranian sailors on board is reportedly sinking, adding that a rescue operation is currently underway.

Axar.az reports that an Iranian-flagged cargo ship sent an alarm signal to Azerbaijan's State Maritime Agency on Friday, 26 July at around 14:10 local time after an accident in the vicinity of a port in the city of Lankaran, according to the maritime authority. The agency added that two rescue helicopters and an escort vessel have been dispatched to the scene.

"At 2.10 p.m. today (10:10 GMT), the national centre of the State Maritime Agency received an alarm signal about an accident near the borders of the Lankaran's port, involving cargo vessel Shabahang, sailing under the Iranian flag. Two aircraft of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and a patrol vessel of the State Border Service have been sent to the site of the accident", the State Maritime Agency said in a press release.