Tehran/Dubai: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said early on Sunday that its navy and aerospace units had launched a coordinated missile and drone campaign against US military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain, declaring the action a response to recent American strikes on Iranian targets, Reuters reported.
“Violating the ceasefire is contrary to Clause 1 of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding and will result in the complete halt of all diplomatic processes,” the Revolutionary Guards said in a statement, according to Press TV. The IRGC Navy Command warned that US bases in the Gulf would face “hell” in the days ahead.
Biggest Flare-Up Since Ceasefire
The announcement followed US statements that American forces had again struck Iranian facilities — the second set of US strikes in as many nights — coming hours after a tanker was struck in the Strait of Hormuz. The incidents mark the most serious flare-up since the two sides signed an interim peace deal two weeks earlier.
Both Tehran and Washington have traded accusations of breaching the temporary accord reached to pause the four-month conflict.
US Central Command said on Saturday that US forces carried out new strikes after a Panama-flagged tanker was attacked by an Iranian drone early that day. Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB reported explosions in Sirik in southern Iran during the early hours of Sunday, but gave no further details.
“Iran was given a chance to honour the ceasefire agreement but elected not to,” US Central Command said in a statement. It said the strikes were “in direct response to continued Iranian aggression against commercial shipping” and targeted Iranian military surveillance, communications, air defense, drone storage and mine-laying facilities.
A US defense official later told Fox News that the strikes on Iranian targets were complete.
US officials had said Washington struck Iranian targets overnight earlier, and Iran said it retaliated on Saturday by attacking sites it said were tied to US forces.
Cargo & Tanker Strikes Revive Strait Tensions
The tanker strike on Saturday came two days after a cargo ship was hit on Thursday, setting off the recent escalation. Iran has made renewed efforts to assert control over the strategic energy corridor, which has only just begun to reopen after months of disruption.
Britain’s UKMTO maritime security agency said the Panama-flagged tanker M/T Kiku, struck near the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, sustained damage to its bridge; all crew were reported safe. The Joint Maritime Information Centre, a coalition-run naval security unit, raised its threat level following the series of incidents.
Iran has not publicly confirmed specific strikes on commercial vessels. Iranian state television reported that the Revolutionary Guards fired “warning shots” at vessels attempting to use channels not approved by Tehran, and said other ships were now seeking Iranian permits before attempting to transit the strait.
Iran Says Strikes ‘Defensive’
Earlier, Iran’s foreign ministry described its attacks as “defensive” strikes on US-linked military targets, while Bahrain — home to the US Navy’s regional headquarters — reported an Iranian drone attack. The US military did not immediately respond to Bahrain’s report.
President Donald Trump weighed in on Saturday, saying that “Iran launched at least four drones toward ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz.” One of them, he wrote on his Truth Social platform, “scored a direct hit on the upper deck of a cargo ship, while three others were intercepted. ‘Clearly, this is a foolish violation of our ceasefire agreement.”
Tehran Rejected US Accusations
Iran rejected the US accusations and accused Washington of violating the agreement. The Iranian Foreign Ministry called the US strikes a “blatant violation” of the UN Charter and of the memorandum of understanding between the parties. The Revolutionary Guards warned that “if the aggression is repeated, Iran’s response will be broader.”
