Iran Accuses US of Ceasefire Violation After New Strikes
Iran accused the United States on Tuesday of breaching their ceasefire after overnight US strikes targeted Iranian missile sites and mine-laying boats, threatening diplomatic efforts to end the war. The Brent benchmark oil price jumped almost three percent following the strikes, which US Central Command announced as a new wave of bombings. China urged both sides to respect the truce and resolve their dispute peacefully.
Details of the Strikes
According to the maritime safety monitor UKMTO, a blast damaged a tanker on the waterline off Oman, though the crew and vessel were reportedly safe after what was described as an external explosion. Iranian state media reported overnight blasts in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, near the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps said its forces had downed a US drone entering its airspace and had fired at an F-35 fighter jet.
The Iranian foreign ministry stated: "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." It added that Tehran "will not leave any evil unanswered and will not hesitate to defend the Iranian nation," without elaborating.
Political Reactions
In a statement marking the start of the Eid Al-Adha holiday, Tehran's supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei declared that Washington was losing its influence in the Middle East and warned countries in the region to stop hosting bases from which the US could launch attacks. The United States, he said, "in addition to no longer having any safe haven in the region for aggression and the establishment of military bases, is moving further and further away from its former position with each passing day."
Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for US Central Command, said: "US forces conducted self-defense strikes in southern Iran today to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces." He gave few details of the attacks and said only that the targets included missile launch sites and boats trying to emplace mines.
Diplomatic Efforts Continue
Despite the strikes, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that a deal remained within reach. He remained firm on the Strait of Hormuz, the key oil and gas shipping route which Iran is seeking to control. "There were some talks going on in Qatar today, so we'll see if we can make progress. I think it's a lot of talking back and forth going on about specific language in the initial document, so it'll take a few days," Rubio told reporters during a visit to India. He said the strait was "going to be open one way or the other," adding: "What's happening there is unlawful, it's illegal, it's unsustainable for the world, it's unacceptable."
Tasnim news agency said Tehran's negotiators are seeking the release of frozen assets, with half to be made available once an initial memorandum of understanding is signed. This came as a top Iranian delegation was in Qatar and Tehran said it was finalizing a 14-point framework for a deal on ending the war, which began with US-Israeli airstrikes on February 28. "Iran's frozen assets are to be released during the course of the negotiations, and this amount is estimated at $24 billion in accordance with the 14-point memorandum of understanding," Tasnim said.
Frozen Assets and Negotiations
Iran's top negotiator, parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, arrived in Qatar on Monday for talks along with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati. Tasnim said Ghalibaf's trip was "aimed at reaching an understanding on the implementation of Iran's demand and the method of accessing $12 billion in the first phase." In 2023, $6 billion in frozen Iranian funds held in South Korean banks was transferred to Qatar pending the release of five American citizens detained in Iran. The new strikes threaten the ceasefire that began on April 8 as the US and Iran struggle to reach an accord.
