Iran said Saturday it struck targets linked to US forces in retaliation for American airstrikes on surveillance facilities along its southern coast. Both sides continue to accuse each other of violating last week's agreement that was expected to end four months of fighting.
Iran's Foreign Ministry, which described the strikes as "defensive," did not specify their locations. It alleged that the US "barbaric airstrikes" on coastal surveillance facilities also violated the United Nations 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. It also reserved the right to self-defense.
Washington did not immediately respond to Iran's report of striking US targets. The tactic aimed to weaken US allies in the region during the conflict.
Iran claims control over Strait of Hormuz
The US military said Friday's strikes were a response to an Iranian drone attack on a cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. Tensions continue to rise in the waterway, vital for global energy supply.
Iranian state television said 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.
Bahrain said Iran's continued attacks, despite efforts to reduce regional and international tensions, undermined peace and regional stability. It also accused Tehran of violating UN Security Council Resolution 2817 and the June 17 Islamabad memorandum of understanding.
After an attack on a cargo vessel off the coast of Oman on Thursday, Iran did not claim responsibility. Instead, it asserted its authority to regulate passage through the Strait of Hormuz, saying vessels must follow routes designated by Tehran, warned Gulf states against siding with Washington, and claimed that the interim Iran-US agreement gave it control over ship traffic in the strategic waterway.
Ibrahim Azizi, head of the Iranian parliament's national security committee, said Saturday that any violation of Iran's navigation instructions in the strait would be met with a resolute response.
Vance issues stern warning
The US Central Command condemned Iran's Thursday attack as "unjustified aggression against commercial shipping" and said the US would continue to provide "safe transit coordination and support" to commercial vessels passing through the strait.
Vice President JD Vance said the US remains committed to the ceasefire agreement. In a post on X, Vance said, "Iran signed a ceasefire. We respected it. If they have disagreements over how the memorandum is implemented, they can pick up the phone. But violence will be met with force."
Before the resumption of violence, oil prices fell about 3 percent on Friday as oil tankers departed the Strait of Hormuz, beginning a week of sharp losses. Saudi Aramco resumed crude oil loading at the Ras Tanura terminal, the world's largest oil port, after a nearly four-month hiatus.
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 fees or "attempts to assert control." Iran's Foreign Ministry said the strait should be managed by Iran and Oman, while Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior adviser to Iran's supreme leader, warned Washington's Gulf allies that their presence depended on Tehran's tolerance.
