Iran army demands US honor June 16 pact amid Hormuz tensions

Iran's army on Sunday demanded Washington adhere to a June 16 memorandum of understanding between the two capitals, accusing the United States of generating insecurity in the Strait of Hormuz through what it described as illegal intervention in the strategic waterway.

Military warnings

Speaking to state broadcaster IRIB, army spokesman Brig. Gen. Mohammad Akraminia said US attempts to establish an "illegal route" through the strait have destabilized the region. He stated that Iran's armed forces will firmly defend the rights of the Iranian people there, noting that the military maintains and continuously updates its "bank of targets" for potential operations.

Retaliatory strikes

The warnings came amid a sharp escalation in hostilities over the weekend. Iranian forces launched missile and drone attacks targeting US military bases and facilities across several Gulf states, prompting American forces to conduct a third round of strikes against radar, missile, and drone sites throughout southern Iran, according to military sources.

Maritime blockade

Tehran also opened fire on commercial vessels navigating the waterway and announced the indefinite closure of the strait until further notice, US Central Command reported. One sailor remains missing following the incidents, the command said, as maritime traffic through the vital chokepoint — a critical artery for global energy shipments — remains suspended.