Iran accused the United States on Saturday of violating a memorandum of understanding aimed at reaching an agreement to end the war in the Middle East. This came after Washington launched strikes on Iranian territory, and Tehran retaliated with attacks on U.S. targets in the Gulf.
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This exchange of fire is the first known incident of its kind since the signing of the MoU between Washington and Tehran on June 17. The development has raised questions regarding efforts to keep the vital waterway open, while Washington and Tehran negotiate a final settlement to the war that began on February 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that the recent U.S. strikes, which targeted Iranian missile and drone storage sites as well as coastal radar installations, were in response to "unprovoked aggression against commercial shipping by Iranian forces that clearly violated the ceasefire."
However, Iran strongly condemned the attacks, following retaliatory strikes launched by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
In a statement, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "These brutal attacks targeting Iranian coastal surveillance facilities constitute a flagrant violation" of the MoU aimed at ending the war.
The IRGC announced it had struck U.S. positions in the Gulf region in response, warning that "in the event of repeated aggression, our response will be broader," according to a state television post on the Telegram app.
Regarding the U.S. strikes, Iranian state television quoted its correspondent in the southern coastal city of Sirik as saying that the sound of an explosion was heard at a pier there late Friday. It also quoted a military source stating that the blast was caused by a projectile hitting the area.
Following the explosion, the Mehr news agency reported that "Sirik port is operating normally, and there have been no reports of damage to its equipment or facilities."
CENTCOM described the operation as a "robust response to yesterday's attack targeting a commercial vessel transiting the Strait of Hormuz."
U.S. President Donald Trump had previously condemned what he described as a strike carried out by an Iranian drone on the vessel, viewing it as a "brazen violation" of the understanding between the two countries.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance also issued a direct warning via a post on the X platform, indicating that "violence will be met with violence" if Iran conducts any further attacks.
Iran had warned ships against entering or leaving the Gulf through the strait without permission; however, vessels continued to sail, some via routes unauthorized by Tehran.
Despite the recent escalation, oil prices dropped sharply amid hopes for the continued recovery of shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz—a strategic waterway through which one-fifth of global oil and gas exports typically transit.
AFP
