The Government of Iran accused the United States on Wednesday of once again violating the ceasefire with its latest attacks against a ship and the island of Qeshm and emphasized that these acts were carried out “from two countries in the region,” while defending its bombings against Kuwait and Bahrain as acts carried out “within the framework of the inherent right to self-defense.”
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The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed in a statement its “firm condemnation” of “the aggressive actions of the US terrorist Army,” referring to the attacks in recent hours against an Iranian tanker in the Strait of Hormuz and a communications tower on the island of Qeshm, perpetrated from “two countries in the region.”
“These aggressive actions are not only a violation of the ceasefire, dated April 9, but a blatant violation of the fundamental principle prohibiting the use of force, in line with Article 2 of the United Nations Charter,” it stated, while accusing Washington of “colonially using the territory and facilities of countries in the region for its aggressive plans against Iran.”
It also highlighted “the clear and direct responsibility of the rulers of Kuwait and Bahrain in relation to the aggressive actions of this night” and argued that “any country that allows aggressive parties to use its land, sea, and air (…) to carry out or support a military aggression against Iran is clearly violating the fundamental norms of International Law and the principle of good neighborliness.”
“The Islamic Republic of Iran, exercising its inherent right to defend its territorial integrity and national sovereignty, will use all its capabilities to confront acts of aggression, including attacks against the origin and source of aggressive actions,” it emphasized, before stressing that “obviously, the responsibility for the effects and consequences of this situation lies with the Zionist-American aggressors and all parties that, by handing over their territory and facilities, help them commit acts of aggression against Iran.”
For its part, the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces issued a statement promising to “defend the Iranian nation and the Islamic Revolution to the death” and added that the surprise offensive launched on February 28 by the United States and Israel “showed the world the true face of the false defenders of Human Rights.”
In this way, it emphasized that the “powerful” Iranian Armed Forces “will not allow the resentful enemy to achieve its evil purposes,” according to the Iranian public broadcaster, IRIB. “The American and Zionist enemies will have no choice but to surrender to the divine will of the Armed Forces and the enlightened and conscious nation,” it concluded.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard claimed “with missiles and drones” the headquarters of the United States Navy’s Fifth Fleet located in Bahrain, as well as other air bases in the Middle East and a US-flagged ship, as a “response” to a US attack on one of its ships in the Strait of Hormuz area and a communications tower on the island of Qeshm.
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) has confirmed its responsibility for “self-defense attacks” against Qeshm and has also claimed to have shot down “several Iranian ballistic missiles and drones” launched against Kuwait and Bahrain, while denying that the Fifth Fleet base was hit by Iranian forces.
Meanwhile, Kuwaiti authorities have confirmed several injuries and “significant” material damage at Kuwait International Airport due to the “Iranian aggression,” while Bahrain has denounced a “systematic aggression” by Iran and stated that its air defense systems have managed to destroy “three missiles and numerous drones” in recent hours.
This new exchange of attacks takes place amid mutual accusations of violations of the April ceasefire and the stalemate of open negotiations to try to reach a peace agreement to end the conflict in the Middle East, opened on February 28 due to a surprise offensive launched by Israel and the United States against Iran.
