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The US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Friday released footage showing US military strikes on Iranian missile and drone storage locations, as well as coastal radar sites, which came in retaliation for Tehran's attack on a commercial vessel transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
According to a statement issued by CENTCOM, US forces carried out the strikes on June 26 in response to an attack a day earlier on the Singapore-flagged cargo ship M/V Ever Lovely, which was hit by a one-way attack drone launched by Iranian forces while exiting the Strait of Hormuz along the Omani coast. "U.S. aircraft struck Iranian missile and drone storage locations and coastal radar sites after Iran hit M/V Ever Lovely on June 25 with a one-way attack drone," CENTCOM said. https://x.com/CENTCOM/status/2070681703077622030 The US military described the attack on the commercial vessel as "unwarranted aggression" and said it violated the ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran while undermining freedom of navigation through one of the world's most important maritime trade routes. "The unwarranted aggression against commercial shipping by Iranian forces clearly violated the ceasefire. Furthermore, Iran's dangerous behavior undermined freedom of navigation as commerce increasingly flows through the vital international trade corridor," the statement read. CENTCOM said its forces continue to provide safe passage coordination and support to commercial vessels operating through the Strait of Hormuz, adding that the US military remains deployed and vigilant to ensure adherence to the agreement with Iran. "The U.S. military remains present and vigilant to ensure all aspects of the agreement with Iran are adhered to, obeyed, and in full force and effect," the command added. Following the US strikes, the navy of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) retaliated by targeting US military positions in West Asia, labelling Washington's "aggression" as a breach of commitments as per their 14-point memorandum of understanding (MoU) to end the hostilities in the region. According to a statement issued by IRGC Public Relations and carried by Iranian state media, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the Iranian forces said the action was in response to US airstrikes. "The IRGC Navy responded to America's aggression and breach of promise," the statement said, according to IRIB. The IRGC accused the United States of violating its obligations and said the US strikes were carried out "under the pretext of preventing a ship from passing through the Strait of Hormuz illegally". "In response to this aggression, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy struck the locations of the US terrorist army in the region," the statement added. The Iranian statement further claimed that arrangements existed under Article 5 of the MoU for controlling traffic in the Strait of Hormuz with Iran, alleging that the United States attempted to undermine these arrangements. IRIB quoted the IRGC as warning that any repeat violation would invite a broader response. "If the violation is repeated, our response will be more extensive than this," the statement added. (ANI)
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