TEHRAN: Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday warned that it will retaliate against US strikes carried out earlier describing the attacks as a “blatant violation” of the ongoing ceasefire agreement.
“The terrorist US military has, over the past 48 hours, committed a blatant violation of the ceasefire in the Hormozgan region,” the statement said.
“Without a doubt, the Islamic Republic of Iran will leave no act of aggression unanswered and will not hesitate in the slightest in defending the sovereignty and integrity of Iran,” it said.
بیانیه وزارت امور خارجه
در رابطه با نقض آشکار آتشبس از سوی آمریکاارتش تروریستی آمریکا.. در ۴۸ ساعت گذشته مرتکب نقض فاحش آتشبس در منطقه هرمزگان شد…
… بدون تردید جمهوری اسلامی ایران هیچ شرارتی را بیپاسخ نمیگذارد و در دفاع از کیان ایران کمترین تردیدی به خود راه نمیدهد. pic.twitter.com/4BoOpiz2Q5— وزارت امور خارجه (@IRIMFA) May 26, 2026
The US military earlier said it had launched new strikes on targets in southern Iran, hitting Iranian missile sites and boats allegedly attempting to place naval mines.
US Central Command said in a statement that the strikes were carried out in “self-defence” and aimed at “protecting our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces”.
A Central Command spokesperson said the US military “continues to defend our forces while using restraint during the ongoing ceasefire”.
“US forces conducted self-defence strikes in southern Iran today to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces,” Tim Hawkins, a US Central Command spokesman, said in a statement.
It gave no details of the attacks and said only that the targets included missile launch sites and boats trying to “emplace mines.”
Trump will make ‘a good deal, or no deal’ with Iran: Rubio
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said a potential deal to end the US-Israel war on Iran could “take a few days” as a series of attacks threatened ceasefire.
“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 on Tuesday.
SECRETARY RUBIO: The President is going to make a good deal or no deal. pic.twitter.com/BNcWfpYckL
— Department of State (@StateDept) May 26, 2026
“The president’s expressed his desire to make it. He’s either going to make a good deal or no deal,” he said. Rubio told reporters that “the straits have to be open”.
“They’re going to be open one way or the other, so they need to be open. What’s happening there is unlawful, it’s illegal, it’s unsustainable for the world, it’s unacceptable.”
Iran’s president calls for defence overhaul
Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has told military commanders that countries in the region now believe the US military presence in the Gulf has failed to provide lasting security, adding that dependence on Washington for protection has proven “unrealistic and ineffective.”
In a statement released by Iran’s presidential office, Pezeshkian called for modernising the country’s defence structure, warning “the enemy has acquired new technologies and tools”.
President @drpezeshkian urges faster advancement of Iran’s defense technologieshttps://t.co/m3b4lIkCIe pic.twitter.com/0DIzWH1deU
— IRNA News Agency ☫ (@IrnaEnglish) May 26, 2026
He stressed that the armed forces must strengthen their technological advantage and boost defence capabilities through closer cooperation with universities, scientific institutions, and knowledge-based companies.
Pezeshkian also praised the military for its professionalism, thanking personnel for remaining committed to their duties while avoiding political and partisan involvement.
