United States (US) Vice President (VP) JD Vance has issued a warning to Tehran, stating that the nation will face “violence” for executing further attacks following American retaliatory strikes over a targeted cargo ship.
“Iran signed a ceasefire agreement. We have honored it. If they have disagreements about how the MoU is being applied, they can pick up the phone,” Vance posted on X, referring to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) meant to stop nearly four months of conflict. “But violence will be met with violence.”
In response to the American operation, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced it targeted US military installations across the region “in response to a fresh US strike against Iran.”
Tehran did not specify the exact locations of the targeted American facilities. This declaration followed a retracted report from the semi-official ISNA news agency, which had briefly published an IRGC statement promising a response that would be “swift and decisive,” later deleting the statement.
The latest military friction initiated after US executed airstrikes inside Iranian territory following a drone strike on a commercial vessel near Oman, according to a United States Central Command (CENTCOM) statement.
“US aircraft struck Iranian missile and drone storage locations and coastal radar sites after Iran hit M/V Ever Lovely on June 25 with a one-way attack drone,” the statement reads. “The Singapore-flagged cargo ship was exiting the Strait of Hormuz along the Omani coast at the time of Iran’s attack.”
CENTCOM labeled the drone strike an “unwarranted aggression” by Iranian forces, adding that they “clearly violated the ceasefire”.
Commenting on the incident, US President Donald Trump downplayed Tehran’s military power, noting that the country maintains “some capability, not much” following the maritime strike.
“They have some capability, not much. They’re not winning or anything,” he said.
Trump specified that four drones were deployed, with US defense systems intercepting three. On Truth Social, the US President detailed the impact, stating, “One of the drones solidly hit the upper deck of a large and very expensive cargo carrying ship. Damage was done, but the ship was able to proceed on its way.”
He added, “We knocked down three other Drones. Obviously, this is a foolish violation of our ceasefire agreement.”
Concurrently, Iranian state media announced the setup of a direct hotline intended to “prevent incidents in the Strait of Hormuz that might lead to a military confrontation”.
“The line has been established according to the final statement of the talks in Switzerland, issued by the two mediators,” the broadcaster wrote on X. “Iran emphasises that, in accordance with the agreement, any passage through the strait must be conducted via the routes announced by Iran.”
However, the IRGC maintained strict conditions on maritime transit through the shipping choke point, warning via state broadcaster IRIB that movement “is only possible via routes announced by Iran”.
“The only law that governs this region is still the law of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Revolutionary Guards Navy,” a reporter from the Iran’s state broadcaster said.
