Iran and the United States have exchanged military strikes for the first time since signing an understanding memorandum, a move that could jeopardize efforts to reach a final agreement to end the ongoing conflict. The exchange marks a significant escalation following rounds of negotiations.
Iran US military strikes
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Saturday that it targeted American positions in the Persian Gulf region in retaliation for U.S. strikes. The IRGC stated via an official television post on Telegram that any repetition of aggression would result in a broader response. Iran had previously warned ships against entering or leaving the Gulf via the Strait without authorization, yet vessels continued their passage, some utilizing routes not sanctioned by Tehran.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that recent American strikes targeted Iranian missile and drone storage sites, as well as coastal radar installations. CENTCOM described these actions as a response to "unprovoked aggression against commercial shipping by Iranian forces that clearly violated the ceasefire."
Earlier, Iranian state television reported an explosion late Friday evening at the Tahravi dock, citing an informed military source who attributed the blast to a projectile impact in the area. CENTCOM characterized its operation as a "strong response to yesterday's attack that targeted a commercial vessel transiting the Strait of Hormuz."
The Iranian Foreign Ministry condemned the U.S. airstrikes on several Iranian coastal areas, asserting Iran's full right to retaliate against these aggressions. The ministry also called on all Gulf littoral states to adhere to the principles of good neighborliness and international law, urging them to prevent aggressive parties from using their territories or capabilities for any hostile actions against the Islamic Republic of Iran.
In a statement released Saturday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry declared that "these barbaric attacks, which targeted Iranian coastal monitoring facilities, represent a flagrant violation of Paragraph 4 of Article 2 of the UN Charter, as well as a clear breach of the first paragraph of the understanding memorandum to end the imposed war, signed on June 18, 2026." Iran held the U.S. responsible and called upon the UN Secretary-General, the Security Council, and all relevant international bodies not to remain neutral in the face of this blatant violation of the fundamental principles and rules of the UN Charter and international law by the United States.
U.S. President Donald Trump had previously denounced what he described as an Iranian drone strike on a vessel, calling it a "clumsy violation" of the understanding between the two countries. Vice President Jay D. Vance issued a direct warning on the platform X, stating that "violence will be met with violence" if Iran carries out further attacks.
Related topics: Iran, United States, military strikes, Persian Gulf, US-Iran relations, conflict escalation
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