ISTANBUL: Iran has strongly condemned US military strikes targeting sites along its southern coastline, accusing Washington of violating international law and breaching a recently signed agreement aimed at ending hostilities between the two countries.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the attacks struck coastal surveillance facilities and described the operation as a clear violation of the UN Charter and the peace framework agreed upon earlier this month. Tehran reaffirmed its right to self-defense, saying its armed forces had responded with retaliatory operations against US-linked military targets in the region.
The ministry also urged neighboring Gulf states to ensure their territories and military facilities are not used to launch attacks against Iran. It further called on the United Nations and other international organizations to condemn what it described as a serious breach of international law and to take appropriate action.
The latest escalation followed a US announcement late Friday that American forces had carried out strikes against Iranian missile, drone, and radar installations. Washington said the operation was conducted after accusing Tehran of involvement in an attack on a commercial vessel transiting the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
In response, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated that its naval forces launched retaliatory strikes targeting US military positions across the region. The IRGC warned that any further military escalation would be met with a stronger response.
The renewed tensions come despite a 14-point memorandum of understanding reached earlier this month between Tehran and Washington through Pakistani mediation. The agreement officially entered into force on June 18 after being electronically signed by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and US President Donald Trump.
The accord includes commitments to halt hostilities across several regional fronts, reopen the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping, lift the US naval blockade on Iran, and continue negotiations over a broader and more permanent agreement during a 60-day diplomatic process.
The latest exchange of military action has raised fresh concerns about the durability of the agreement and the risk of renewed instability in the Gulf region, where global energy supplies and maritime trade remain highly vulnerable to escalating conflict.
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