Iran said Saturday it struck targets linked to US forces in response to American airstrikes on surveillance facilities on its southern coast. Both sides continue to accuse each other of violating last week's agreement, which was expected to end the four-month war.
Iran's Foreign Ministry did not specify the locations of its strikes, which it described as "defensive." The ministry claimed that the US "barbaric airstrikes" on coastal surveillance facilities also violated the UN Charter.
Bahrain, which hosts the US Navy's Fifth Fleet, condemned an Iranian drone attack on its territory as a clear violation of its sovereignty and a threat to its security. Bahrain added that it reserves the right to self-defense.
Washington did not immediately respond to Iran's report of striking US targets. The tactic was aimed at weakening US allies in the region during the conflict.
Iran claims control in the Strait of Hormuz
The US military said Friday's strikes were a response to an Iranian drone attack on a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz. Tensions continue to rise on this waterway, vital for global energy supply.
Iranian state television announced that the Revolutionary Guards gave a "decisive response" after US forces struck a communications tower in the port city of Sirik. Iran's Mehr news agency reported that the port was operating normally, with no damage to facilities or equipment reported.
Bahrain said Iran's continued strikes, despite efforts to reduce regional and international tension, undermine peace and regional stability. It also accused Tehran of violating UN Security Council Resolution 2817 and the Islamabad memorandum of understanding of June 17.
After an attack on a cargo ship off Oman on Thursday, Iran did not claim responsibility. Instead, it asserted authority over regulating passage through the Strait of Hormuz, saying ships must follow routes set by Tehran, warned Gulf countries against siding with Washington, and claimed the Iran-US interim agreement gave it control over ship traffic in the strategic waterway.
The head of Iran's parliamentary national security committee, Ibrahim Azizi, said Saturday that any violation of Iran's navigation instructions in the strait would be met with a firm response.
Vance issues stern warning
US Central Command condemned Iran's Thursday attack as "unjustified aggression against commercial shipping" and added that the US would continue to provide "safe passage coordination and support" to commercial ships transiting the strait.
Vice President JD Vance said Americans remain committed to the ceasefire agreement. In a statement on platform X, Vance said, "Iran signed a ceasefire agreement. We respected it. If they have disagreements about how the memorandum is implemented, they can pick up the phone. But violence will be met with violence."
Before the renewed outbreak of violence, oil prices fell about 3% on Friday as oil tankers left the Strait of Hormuz, starting a week of sharp losses. Saudi Aramco resumed crude oil loadings at the Ras Tanura terminal, the world's largest oil port, after a gap of about four months.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a joint statement with the Gulf Cooperation Council, called for "free, unconditional, and unrestricted navigation" in the strait without any transit fee or "attempt to assert control." Iran's Foreign Ministry said the strait should be managed by Iran and Oman, while a senior adviser to Iran's supreme leader, Ali Akbar Velayati, warned Washington's Gulf allies that their presence depended on Tehran's tolerance.
