Iran Comments on US "Defensive" Strikes

SadaNews - The Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced on Tuesday that Tehran retains the right to respond to any American violation of the ceasefire, noting that it shot down an MQ-9 drone.

The Revolutionary Guard stated in a statement that it also fired at an RQ-4 drone and an F-35 fighter jet during what it described as an attempt to target the area.

The statement added that Iran "retains the legitimate and decisive right to respond" to any American violation of the ceasefire, amid ongoing tensions between Tehran and Washington.

For his part, the head of the National Security Committee in the Iranian Parliament, Ibrahim Azizi, threatened a "decisive and crushing" response to any attacks targeting the Iranian armed forces, following the recent US strikes on targets in southern Iran.

Despite the military escalation, the responses from Iranian officials have remained relatively limited so far, amidst ongoing political communications related to the memorandum of understanding proposed between the two sides.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that the US military carried out what it described as "defensive strikes" in southern Iran on Monday, targeting missile launch sites and Iranian boats suspected of being used for laying mines in the area.

CENTCOM spokesperson, Captain Tim Hawkins, stated that US forces "carried out defensive strikes in southern Iran to protect their troops from threats posed by Iranian forces," adding that the operations were in response to activities considered a direct threat to US forces in the region.

Hawkins explained that the targets included missile launch sites, in addition to Iranian boats that were "attempting to lay mines," emphasizing that CENTCOM "continues to defend its forces with restraint during the ceasefire period."