America bombs Iranian targets near Hormuz, and the Revolutionary Guard accuses it of violating the memorandum of understanding news

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The US Central Command (Centcom) announced the implementation of military strikes against targets inside Iran, and said that the strikes were in response to a drone attack that targeted a commercial ship as it was crossing the Strait of Hormuz, while the Iranian Revolutionary Guard responded by targeting what it said were US army concentration points in the region.

Centcom said that US aircraft targeted – yesterday, Friday – Iranian sites for storing missiles and drones, in addition to coastal radar sites.

The statement indicated that the American bombing came after an attack carried out by Iran against the Singapore-flagged cargo ship MV Ever Lovely, as it was leaving the Strait of Hormuz off the Omani coast last Thursday.

The Central Command added that the Iranian attack was carried out by a suicide drone, considering that it represents a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement, and undermines freedom of navigation and the safe flow of international trade through the vital sea corridor.

Centcom confirmed that it continues to coordinate and secure the transit of commercial ships in the Strait, stressing that the American forces will remain in a state of readiness to ensure the implementation of the agreements concluded with Iran and full compliance with them.

Iranian television reported that “two projectiles hit a communications tower in the city of Sirik in the south of the country,” adding that “three explosions sounded at the Tahiriyeh pier in Sirik.”

Iranian television quoted a military source as saying, “Five hours ago, warning shots were fired from the city of Sirik towards offending ships in the Strait of Hormuz,” adding, “Information indicates that two warning missiles were fired – hours ago – from the Karban area towards the Strait of Hormuz.”

He said, “The cause of the explosions in Serik was that a projectile hit the vicinity of the Tahiriyah pier.”

The Revolutionary Guard threatens to respond

On the other hand, the “Sepah News” website published a statement by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in which it said that the United States launched an attack on the Iranian coast, and this prompted it to respond, as the Revolutionary Guard’s navy bombed the American army’s concentration points in the region.

The statement accused Washington of violating its obligations in the memorandum of understanding concluded between the two parties, noting that according to Clause Five of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, the arrangements for controlling transit and traffic in the Strait of Hormuz belong to Iran, but the United States sought to violate this commitment by inciting various parties, he said.

The Revolutionary Guard confirmed that Washington had received the necessary response to this, and if what it called aggression was repeated, “the response would be broader than that.”

Before that statement, there were conflicting reports about the response by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, as the ISNA agency quoted the Revolutionary Guard as saying, “Our naval and air forces thwarted the American attack on Sirik, and forced the attacking forces to retreat.”

The agency stated that the Revolutionary Guard stressed that “the American aggression will not go unanswered, and our response will be quick and decisive at a time and place we choose,” and warned “that any new foolishness will be met with a harsh response that will shatter the illusions of the aggressors in the region.”

ISNA later deleted the Revolutionary Guard’s statements, while the Iranian Fars Agency reported that the Revolutionary Guard has not yet issued any statement regarding today’s attacks.

The strikes end

In the same context, a CNN correspondent quoted an American official as saying, “The strikes do not represent a return to major combat operations, at least not at the present time.” The New York Times also quoted an American official as saying that the American strikes “aim to respond to the Iranian attack on the merchant ship, and do not represent a resumption of large-scale combat operations.”

A Fox News correspondent quoted an American official as saying, “All the targets targeted by the American strikes were located along the Strait of Hormuz, and included drones, radars, and missiles.” He added, “The American military strikes targeting Iran ended for tonight.”

The American strikes came hours after statements by US President Donald Trump in which he criticized the attack on the commercial ship, saying that Iran shooting at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz is something he did not like at all, and should not have happened. He added in response to a question about Iranian movements in the Strait: “You will know our response soon.”

Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Tehran, Omar Hawash, reported earlier that Iranian media reported hearing three explosions that occurred in the Tahiriyeh area, a port in the city of Sirik in Hormozgan Province (south), overlooking the Strait of Hormuz.