Tehran, Iran. Iran said on Saturday it struck targets linked to U.S. forces in response to U.S. airstrikes on its southern coast, as both sides accused each other of violating last week’s agreement intended to end the four-month-old war. Bahrain later condemned what it said was an Iranian drone attack on its territory.
Iran reports retaliatory strikes
Iran’s foreign ministry did not identify the locations of what it described as “defensive” attacks. It said the action was a response to “the barbaric air strikes” by the United States on its coastal surveillance facilities, which it said also violated the U.N. Charter.
Washington did not immediately respond to Iran’s report of strikes on American targets. The tactic has sought to undermine U.S. allies in the region during the conflict.
U.S. cites response to ship attack
The U.S. military said its strikes on Friday were in response to an Iranian drone strike on a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway vital to global energy supplies.
After Thursday’s strike on a cargo ship off Oman’s coast, Iran did not acknowledge responsibility. Instead, it asserted its authority to regulate shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, said vessels must comply with routes designated by Tehran, warned Gulf states against siding with Washington, and said the Iran-U.S. interim agreement gave it control over ship traffic through the strategic waterway.
Ebrahim Azizi, head of the Iranian parliament’s national security committee, said on Saturday that any violation of Iran’s shipping instructions through the strait would be met decisively.
Bahrain condemns alleged Iranian attack
Bahrain, which hosts the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet, condemned what it said was an Iranian drone attack on its territory as a flagrant violation of its sovereignty and a threat to its security. It said it reserved the right to defend itself.
Bahrain said Iran’s continued attacks, despite regional and international de-escalation efforts, were undermining peace and regional stability. It also accused Tehran of breaching U.N. Security Council Resolution 2817 and the June 17 Islamabad memorandum of understanding.
Developments involving Israel and Lebanon
In a separate development, Israel and Lebanon signed an agreement to end the fighting between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah. Both sides said the deal was an initial step that calls for Hezbollah to disarm and Israel to withdraw troops from Lebanon, but it was not clear how it would be enforced.
Hezbollah said it would not cooperate.
Report from Sirik port
Iranian state television said the country’s Revolutionary Guards had delivered “a decisive response” after U.S. forces hit a communications tower in the port city of Sirik.
Iran’s Mehr news agency said the port was operating normally, with no damage reported to facilities or equipment.
