Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said in a statement on Sunday that its forces targeted eight US military installations in Kuwait and Bahrain in response to US attacks on Iran, as the US and Iranian militaries continue to trade strikes despite the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) meant to end the war.
The flare-up began on Thursday when a drone struck an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, and the following day, the US bombed several targets on Iran’s coast. The drone attack came after Iran warned ships against transiting through the strait on a route it didn’t approve, as the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) began evacuating ships through the waterway without coordinating with Iran.
After the US bombed Iran on Friday, Vice President JD Vance accused Iran of violating the MoU and said that “violence will be met with violence.” For their part, Iranian officials maintain that the wording of the MoU means Iran is solely responsible for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and that any other arrangements violate the agreement.
“Any interference in this matter and any attempt to adopt new or separate arrangements compared to what is underway by Iran will only lead to more complicated situations and delays in the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and will fuel tensions,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday.
Following the initial US strikes on Iran, Iran’s military targeted US bases in Bahrain on Saturday, and another commercial ship was hit by a drone. The US then launched another round of strikes against Iran, with US Central Command claiming that 10 military sites were targeted. President Trump also announced the strikes and issued a threat to Iran’s existence.
“United States aircraft just struck Iranian missile and drone storage locations, and coastal radar sites, for violating the Cease Fire Agreement, AGAIN! It is very possible that they will never learn!” President Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“There may come a point when we are no longer able to be reasonable, and will be forced to militarily complete the job that we very successfully started. If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist!” the president added.
In its statement announcing the attacks on US bases on Sunday morning, the IRGC warned that “any future aggression by the enemy, regardless of the pretext and even if, as last night and tonight, it targets objectives deemed to be of minor importance, will be met with a crushing response.”
The IRGC said that further US attacks could lead to the collapse of the MoU, saying that the “enemy should understand that violating the ceasefire constitutes a breach of Clause One of the Islamabad understanding and will result in the complete suspension of all related processes.”
The IRGC said that any traffic through the Strait of Hormuz will be managed by Iran and appeared to threaten to target commercial ships more aggressively if they attempt to transit the strait without coordination. “Henceforth, vessels found to be in violation will be dealt with more firmly than before,” the IRGC said.
