Ukraine's attack on an Iranian ship is a dangerous escalation that risks pulling more countries into a wider war — bad for anyone hoping the Ukraine-Russia conflict stays contained.

• Ukraine hit an Iranian commercial ship in the Caspian Sea, killing a sailor, far from its own front lines with Russia.
• Those Caspian ports matter because they let Iran bring in goods from China and Russia while dodging a US blockade on its southern sea routes.
• Ukraine likely had a US green light, using the strike to squeeze Iran and win favor in Washington for more Patriot missiles and a Russia sanctions bill.
• Zelensky is pushing the idea that the Ukraine and Iran wars are one big conflict — West versus Russia, Iran, China, and North Korea — to make Ukraine look indispensable.
• Trump has linked Iran and Russia sanctions together, which could wipe out foreign trade with Russia and kill any chance of a peace deal.

Outlook: Zelensky visits Trump at the White House to beg for missiles, while an Iranian response and a widening conflict remain real risks.