US Says Iran Talks Will Continue Despite Military Escalation

PUKMEDIA

The war between US and Iran.

The United States has reaffirmed its commitment to diplomatic engagement with Iran despite the latest military confrontation in and around the Strait of Hormuz, insisting that negotiations remain the preferred route to resolving tensions.

According to The Wall Street Journal, a US official said Washington intends to continue talks with Tehran, stressing that military action is not viewed as a substitute for diplomacy but rather as a means of increasing pressure to secure a lasting agreement.

The comments came shortly after US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the completion of a new wave of military strikes against Iranian targets. CENTCOM said more than 80 sites were hit, including air defence systems, command and control facilities, coastal radar installations and anti-ship missile launchers, as well as more than 60 fast attack craft operated by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) near the Strait of Hormuz.

According to CENTCOM, the operation was intended to reduce Iran's ability to threaten international shipping. The command also stated that US forces remain prepared to take further action should Tehran fail to comply with existing agreements.

Iran strongly condemned the strikes, describing them as a blatant act of aggression. Iranian military officials vowed a forceful response and rejected any US role in safeguarding navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

The latest US position followed a decision by the Treasury Department to revoke a temporary licence that had allowed Iranian oil exports until August. Washington linked the move to recent attacks on three commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, including a Qatari liquefied natural gas tanker.

On Wednesday, CENTCOM said its forces had carried out precision strikes against more than 80 Iranian military targets in direct response to what it described as attacks on commercial shipping. In a statement posted on X, the command said the operation targeted air defence systems, command centres, coastal radar sites, anti-ship missile capabilities and more than 60 IRGC vessels operating around the strategic waterway.

The US military said the strikes were aimed at preventing further threats to international trade and maritime security.

CENTCOM stated that the vessels targeted by recent Iranian attacks included the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker M/T Al Raqiat, the Saudi-flagged tanker M/T Widian, and the Liberian-flagged M/T Cyprus Prosperity. It described the incidents as unprovoked attacks and a serious breach of the ceasefire agreement, as well as a violation of freedom of navigation.

The command added that US forces remain ready to respond if Iran fails to honour the terms of the agreement.

Meanwhile, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed it had launched attacks on 85 US military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait, describing the strikes as retaliation for what it called Washington's breach of the ceasefire. The claims marked a further escalation in tensions across the Gulf.

Iran had previously warned it would respond decisively to US strikes near the Strait of Hormuz, accusing Washington of repeatedly violating the memorandum of understanding between the two countries. Iranian state media also reported that missiles had been fired towards US naval vessels operating in the region.

In a statement carried by Iranian state television, the Foreign Ministry warned of the consequences of what it described as the US violation of the agreement, saying Iran would take decisive measures to safeguard its national interests and security.

Shortly afterwards, the semi-official Fars News Agency reported that Iran had launched missiles and drones targeting US naval assets.

Separately, Iranian media reported that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had shot down a US MQ-9 drone in southern Iran, although the claim has not been independently verified.


PUKMEDIA