
Iran Accuses US of Violating Ceasefire Memorandum After Strikes, IRGC Hits Gulf Bases
Tehran says American airstrikes on its southern coast breach the June 2026 agreement and the UN Charter, while the IRGC launches missile and drone attacks on US military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain.
Iran’s foreign ministry on Sunday accused the United States of violating the memorandum of understanding that ended the four-month war between the two countries, after overnight American airstrikes targeted Iranian military infrastructure along the southern coastline. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps responded by firing ballistic missiles and drones at eight US military targets in Kuwait and Bahrain, including the Ali Al Salem airbase and the Fifth Fleet’s facility at Salman port. A US official told Reuters that there were no American casualties or significant damage.
In a statement carried by Iranian state-linked media, the foreign ministry described the US strikes as “barbaric” and a “flagrant violation” of Article 2(4) of the UN Charter, which prohibits the use of force against the territorial integrity of any state. Tehran argues that the attacks also breach Article 1 of the Islamabad memorandum, signed on 17 June 2026, which required an immediate cessation of hostilities. The ministry asserted that “the US regime places no value on its commitments” and that “breaking promises is part of its nature.” Iran invoked its inherent right to self-defence under Article 51 of the Charter and warned that further aggression would meet a “crushing response.” The IRGC navy separately signalled a tougher posture in the Strait of Hormuz, stating it would act “with greater firmness” against perceived violators.
According to US Central Command (CENTCOM), American naval and air force fighters struck ten Iranian military objectives in multiple locations near the Strait of Hormuz, hitting surveillance infrastructure, communications systems, air defence sites, drone storage, and mine-laying capabilities. Washington characterized the operation as a response to Iran’s continued attacks on commercial shipping, citing the assault on the tanker M/T Kiku the previous day. The US administration had earlier framed a similar operation in May—in which American forces shot down Iranian drones and struck a ground control station—as “measured and defensive,” aimed at upholding the ceasefire that began on 8 April. No official American reply to Tehran’s latest accusation had been issued by press time.
The memorandum of understanding, brokered remotely after initial plans for a face-to-face meeting in Switzerland collapsed, set a 60-day timeline for negotiations on broader issues, including Iran’s nuclear programme and the lifting of US sanctions. Even before its signature, the ceasefire was strained when Israeli strikes, which Iranian officials claim were conducted with US approval, hit nuclear sites at Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan in June, drawing international condemnation as violations of international law. Oman’s foreign ministry called the strikes “an act of aggression.” Iran requested an emergency UN Security Council session. Now, the IRGC has warned that ceasefire violations will “result in the complete paralysis of all diplomatic processes,” casting doubt on the viability of the negotiation framework.
Iran’s foreign ministry has called on the UN Security Council and Secretary-General to uphold their responsibilities for international peace and security. No immediate next steps have been announced, and it remains unclear whether the 60-day talks will proceed. The UN Security Council has yet to schedule consultations on the matter.
| Iranian & allied press | −0.50 | critical |
|---|---|---|
| Arab Levant-Maghreb press | −0.40 | critical |
National security is not for sale: Tehran speaks through its foreign ministry, asserting an inalienable right to self-defense.
Iran speaks through a spokesman who personifies the state, turning a negotiating position into an existential principle that cannot be traded.
Iran's retaliatory strikes are not mentioned, omitting the cycle of violence.
Hezbollah and the Iranian president condemn Western aggression, invoking resistance as a sovereign duty.
The narrative universalizes the threat: the agreement with Israel becomes an offense to all peoples of the region, not just Lebanon or Iran.
Iranian retaliation is not covered, focusing solely on denouncing US aggression.
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