Iran condemns U.S. strikes as violation of recent MoU amid escalating tensions
Iran's foreign ministry denounced U.S. attacks on missile and drone sites as a breach of a newly signed memorandum, while the United States said it struck Iranian storage facilities in retaliation for a drone incident near the Strait of Hormuz.
The United States said it carried out airstrikes on Iranian missile and drone storage sites and coastal radar installations on Friday, claiming the attacks were a response to a drone strike on a cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz the previous day. The U.S. Central Command released a video of the operation, and Vice President JD Vance warned that "violence will be met with violence."
Iran's foreign ministry condemned the strikes, calling them "a blatant violation" of the UN Charter and a breach of Paragraph 1 of the memorandum of understanding signed between the two countries last week. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said it had responded by targeting U.S. deployment sites in the region, though no U.S. facilities were reported damaged.
Iranian parliamentarian Ebrahim Azizi, head of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, posted on X that the United States had attacked Iran in the middle of ongoing negotiations, questioning Washington's commitment to diplomacy. A spokesperson for the IRGC accused the United States of violating the MoU, which Tehran says gives it authority over ships transiting the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
The United Nations spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the UN hopes for a "sustained" opening of the Strait and urged all parties to honor their commitments. Meanwhile, the National Iranian American Council expressed concern over the escalation, urging both sides to resolve disputes through diplomatic channels rather than military force.
In related developments, Israel and Lebanon signed a U.S.-brokered framework agreement intended to end hostilities, a move rejected by Hezbollah, which said the deal serves Israeli interests. Lebanese reports also noted Israeli shelling near the border town of Markaba.
