Iran accuses US of “clear violation” of ceasefire after tanker attacks

Iran has accused the United States of violating a ceasefire agreement by carrying out attacks on Iranian oil infrastructure and coastal areas near key maritime routes.

In a statement released on Friday, May 8, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran said US forces targeted two Iranian oil tankers near the port of Jask and the Strait of Hormuz, as well as several coastal areas overlooking the waterway.

According to the ministry, the attacks occurred late Thursday evening and early Friday morning. Iranian armed forces responded with what the statement described as a “powerful response,” which it said prevented the attackers from achieving their objectives.

The ministry characterised the incidents as a “clear violation” of a ceasefire agreement reached last month and accused Washington of “aggressive and provocative” behaviour.

It also said it had alerted the United Nations Security Council and the United Nations Secretary-General to what it described as the dangerous consequences of international inaction in response to US actions in the region.

The statement further asserted that the presence of US forces in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman has become a source of instability rather than security.

By Tamilla Hasanova