Iran Condemns Bandar Abbas Attack, Accuses US of Ceasefire Violations

Iran has strongly condemned the US military attack near Bandar Abbas in southern Iran, accusing Washington of repeatedly violating the ceasefire and threatening regional nations, according to Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the US attack early Thursday was a “blatant violation” of international law and the UN Charter. He called on the UN Security Council to hold the US accountable for its aggression against Iran’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty. Baghaei accused Washington of continuously breaching the ceasefire that began on 8 April, citing attacks on merchant ships in the Gulf and international waters, as well as recent airstrikes in southern Iran. He stressed Iran’s resolve to take “all necessary measures” to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity under Article 51 of the UN Charter. Baghaei also condemned threatening rhetoric by US officials towards Iran and regional countries, expressing solidarity with Oman. He said threats to “destroy” UN member states like Oman, which has played a constructive role in regional peace efforts and diplomatic mediation, normalise dangerous “law-breaking and intimidation” in international relations. Earlier on Thursday, a US official told Anadolu that American forces had shot down four Iranian drones near the Strait of Hormuz and attacked an Iranian ground control station in Bandar Abbas suspected of preparing to launch more drones. The official described US actions as “measured” and “purely defensive”, intended to uphold the ceasefire. In response, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had targeted a US airbase in Kuwait as retaliation for what it called US airstrikes near Bandar Abbas airport. According to semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim, the retaliation occurred hours after US projectiles allegedly struck areas near the southern port city’s airport. The recent tensions come amid ongoing efforts to reach a broader agreement after a 28 February conflict when the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran, triggering Iranian drone and missile strikes across the region and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. A ceasefire began on 8 April through Pakistani mediation, though negotiations in Islamabad failed to produce a permanent resolution. US President Donald Trump later extended the ceasefire indefinitely while maintaining restrictions on vessels linked to Iranian ports.