Image: from IRAN Monitor X @IRI_Monitor
By Open Chronicle
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Friday that it had launched attacks against what it described as US military deployment sites across the region, claiming the operation was a direct response to recent American airstrikes on Iranian territory.
In a statement issued by the naval branch of the IRGC, Iranian officials accused the United States of violating commitments established under the recently signed ceasefire arrangements and the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding governing security in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the statement, the United States breached the agreement by carrying out military strikes inside Iran and encouraging other parties to undermine Tehran’s authority over maritime transit through the strategic waterway.
“The United States sought to violate these commitments by inciting various parties, and an appropriate response was delivered,” the IRGC said.
Tehran cites Strait of Hormuz agreement
Iran specifically referenced Article 5 of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, arguing that responsibility for regulating transit and navigation through the Strait of Hormuz belongs to the Islamic Republic.
Iranian officials insisted that any attempt to bypass or challenge those arrangements would be met with further military action.
“The response given today will be repeated if necessary,” the statement warned. “In the event of another act of aggression, our response will be broader than this.”
Escalating tensions
The IRGC’s announcement comes after the United States confirmed strikes against Iranian coastal military infrastructure, saying the attacks were carried out in response to an alleged Iranian drone strike on the commercial cargo vessel M/V Ever Lovely while it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
Washington has accused Tehran of violating the recently negotiated ceasefire agreement by targeting international shipping, while Iranian authorities reject the US interpretation and argue that they retain the authority to regulate maritime traffic through the vital energy corridor.
Neither side has released detailed information regarding the locations allegedly targeted by the IRGC or the extent of any damage resulting from the reported strikes.
The exchange marks another escalation in the fragile security environment surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important maritime chokepoints, where a significant share of global oil and liquefied natural gas exports passes each day.
Despite the renewed military exchanges, diplomatic efforts aimed at preserving the broader US-Iran ceasefire framework continue, although the latest developments underline the challenges facing implementation of the agreement.