Iran vows 'no attack will go unanswered' after US strikes in south

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned early Wednesday that any aggression against the Islamic Republic would meet a decisive response, hours after American forces launched missile strikes against military targets in southern Hormozgan province. The senior diplomat issued the statement on the social media platform X as explosions were reported across the strategic coastal region.

US strikes target southern Iran

The US Central Command said its forces had initiated what it described as "self-defense" strikes against Iranian positions following the earlier downing of a US Army Apache helicopter in the region. Explosions rocked Qeshm Island and the port cities of Sirik, Minab and Jask while air defense batteries activated in Bandar Abbas, according to Iranian state media accounts.

Tehran promises retaliation

Araghchi took to X to deliver Tehran's formal response. "Despite its defeats on the battlefield, the US opted to test our determination," he said, adding that "our powerful armed forces will leave no attack or threat unanswered." He warned Washington to "leave our region if you want to be safe," noting that history offers many examples of the "dire fates" that await foreign powers who intervene in the Persian Gulf.

Situation stabilizes

Iranian state television reported later that the wave of attacks had subsided and that the situation across Hormozgan province had become "nearly calm." The exchanges come as the US-Israeli war with Iran continues into its third month, with more than 3,300 people killed in the Islamic Republic since hostilities began on February 28.