Key facts
- Iran's IRGC threatened to halt all US-Iran negotiation processes and vowed a stronger response to future US attacks.
- The IRGC accused the US of violating a memorandum of understanding with recent strikes.
- The US military conducted strikes on 10 Iranian military targets after a drone attack on a crude oil tanker.
- Iran launched ballistic missiles and drones at US bases in Bahrain and Kuwait.
- US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz indicated continued military action against Iranian infrastructure if necessary.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has threatened a complete halt to ongoing US-Iran negotiations and vowed a significantly stronger response to any future US attacks. This escalation follows recent drone strikes and reciprocal military actions in the Strait of Hormuz region.
The IRGC stated that recent US strikes violated a memorandum of understanding and would lead to the cessation of all negotiation processes. The corps warned that vessels violating agreements would face a more severe response than in the past.
The immediate catalyst for the heightened tensions was a drone attack on the M/T Kiku, a Panama-flagged crude oil tanker, which the US attributed to Iran. In response, US Central Command (CENTCOM) conducted strikes on 10 Iranian military targets, including surveillance infrastructure and air defence sites, near the Strait of Hormuz.
Tehran retaliated by launching ballistic missiles and drones at the US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain and the Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait. Bahrain's Interior Ministry reported that Iranian strikes damaged a residential building near its international airport, though no fatalities were reported.
Intensive US military flight activity was observed over the Strait of Hormuz, suggesting preparations for further strikes and signaling a test of the fragile US-Iran ceasefire and ongoing negotiations. US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz affirmed that the US would not stand by and would continue to take down Iranian infrastructure if necessary, while also stating that President Trump would keep all options on the table.
IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebi reiterated that violations of agreements would be met with increasingly severe responses, characterizing Washington as deceitful and unreliable. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi asserted that the Strait of Hormuz would remain under Iran's oversight for the next 30 days, with Tehran administering the waterway.
Statements attributed to Iran's Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei called for the trial of US and Israeli leaders for alleged 'war crimes'. His adviser, Mohammad Mokhber, warned that any US attempt to control the Strait of Hormuz would be a mistake and would strengthen Iran's resolve.
A Qatari national was killed and another injured by shrapnel from military operations in the area. The US Navy had previously announced a widened shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz, directly challenging Iran's claim of sole authority over navigation.