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Iran on Thursday strongly condemned the United States over alleged violations of a ceasefire agreement and accused Washington of carrying out attacks against Iranian territory and commercial shipping, according to Iranian media, Fars news agency.
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said that the alleged US actions, including an attack on Bandar Abbas and reported aerial strikes in Southern Iran, represent a "violation" of international law and sovereignty. According to Fars News Agency, the spokesperson stated, "Aggressive actions against Iran's territorial integrity and national sovereignty constitute a blatant violation of international law and the United Nations Charter." The spokesperson further said, "The UN Security Council is obligated to fulfil its legal responsibility to hold the American aggressors accountable." Referring to alleged "ceasefire violations", the spokesperson added, "Continuous violation of the ceasefire on April 19 by the United States, especially the aggression against commercial shipping in the Persian Gulf region and international waters, as well as the aerial aggression against southern regions of Iran in the past few days." Reaffirming Iran's position on self-defence, Baghaei said, "It is based on Iran's determination to take all necessary measures to defend its national sovereignty and territorial integrity in accordance with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter." According to the ISNA news agency, Baghaei also condemned the threatening "rhetoric" of American officials and expressed solidarity with Oman in response to Trump's warning to "blow up" the country. He said, "The threat to destroy a United Nations member state that has always played a constructive, effective, and responsible role in regional peace and security and has used its noble efforts in the service of regional peace and stability as a mediator in diplomatic processes for many years is not only a violation of the fundamental principle of prohibiting the threat of the use of force, but also another dangerous sign of the normalization of lawlessness and bullying in international relations. " Earlier, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched early-morning strikes at an American base after aerial projectiles hit the outskirts of Bandar Abbas Airport, Tasnim News Agency reported on Thursday. As per the Iranian outlet, IRGC said in a statement, "Following the pre-dawn aggression today by the invading American army against a point on the outskirts of Bandar Abbas Airport using aerial projectiles, the American airbase, as the origin of the aggression, was targeted at 4:50 a.m." The latest round of attacks between the US and Iran came after Iranian media on Thursday reported an exchange of fire between Iranian and US forces near the Strait of Hormuz, with Tehran saying its naval forces confronted vessels attempting to cross the strategic waterway without coordination. Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency, citing an "informed military source", reported that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy fired on a US tanker that had "tried to pass through the Strait of Hormuz by turning off its radar system." Tasnim further reported that US forces responded by firing "at a scorched area around Bandar Abbas." Meanwhile, CBS News reported that the US military carried out another round of strikes on Iran on Wednesday (local time), citing a US official who described the action as "defensive" and aimed at preserving a fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran. According to CBS News, the official said US forces shot down four Iranian drones and struck a ground control station in the port city of Bandar Abbas that was preparing to launch a fifth drone. "These actions were measured, purely defensive, and intended to maintain the ceasefire", the US official told CBS News. The official added that despite the latest exchange, the US-Iran ceasefire was still considered to be holding. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Trump remained committed to striking a favourable ceasefire deal with Iran, warning that he "won't be outlasted" as he "doesn't care about the midterm" elections. He warned Oman not to interfere in the Strait of Hormuz negotiations, while rejecting the idea of a short-term deal that would allow Iran and Oman to control the critical waterway on which the world oil and gas supply largely depends. "Oman will behave just like everybody else, or we'll have to blow 'em up," he said. (ANI)
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