Fresh US Strikes Spark Iranian Warning Over Ceasefire Breach

Iran has accused the United States of violating their ceasefire agreement after new overnight strikes targeted Iranian missile positions and mine-laying boats.

Tehran warned it was ready to respond to what it called a “gross violation” of the truce, raising fears that ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the conflict could collapse.

Following the strikes announced by US Central Command, Brent oil prices surged by more than four percent, while China urged both sides to honour the ceasefire and seek a peaceful resolution.

Maritime monitor UKMTO also reported that a tanker suffered damage from an “external explosion” off the coast of Oman, though no casualties were reported.

Iranian media said explosions were heard overnight in Bandar Abbas near the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil shipping route.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed they had downed an American drone that entered Iranian airspace and fired at a US F-35 fighter jet.

“The US terrorist army, continuing its illegal and unjustified actions since the ceasefire … has, in the past 48 hours, committed a gross violation of the ceasefire in the Hormozgan region,” Iran’s foreign ministry stated.

It warned that Iran “will not leave any evil unanswered and will not hesitate to defend the Iranian nation.”

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, also criticised Washington in a statement marking Eid al-Adha, saying the US was steadily losing its regional influence.

“The United States… is moving further and further away from its former position with each passing day,” he said, while warning Middle Eastern countries against allowing the US to use military bases in the region.

US Central Command spokesman Tim Hawkins defended the strikes, describing them as “self-defence strikes” aimed at protecting American troops from threats posed by Iranian forces.

He said the targets included missile launch sites and vessels attempting to place mines.

Despite escalating tensions, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said negotiations were continuing.

“There were some talks going on in Qatar today, so we’ll see if we can make progress,” Rubio said during a visit to India.

Rubio insisted the Strait of Hormuz would remain open, describing any disruption there as “illegal” and “unacceptable.”

Iranian state broadcaster IRIB said a senior delegation had returned from talks in Qatar concerning a proposed 14-point agreement aimed at ending the conflict, which erupted after US-Israeli airstrikes on February 28.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reportedly told Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani that Tehran was “ready to reach a respectful framework to end the war.”

Tasnim news agency also reported that Iran is demanding the release of frozen assets valued at approximately $24 billion as part of the negotiations.

In a separate development, internet monitor NetBlocks reported a partial restoration of internet access in Iran after months of blackout, while Iran’s vice president confirmed that steps had been taken to restore connectivity nationwide.

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