In a statement on Saturday night, the Iranian Foreign Ministry praised the country's Armed Forces for their steadfast defense of Iran's sovereignty and territorial integrity, reaffirming Tehran's determination to continue resistance until the complete end of the enemies' aggression.
The ministry lashed out at the US for repeatedly violating the June 18 memorandum of understanding that ended the war by maintaining a naval blockade on Iranian ports and commercial shipping, conducting military attacks on various parts of Iran, and intensifying economic pressure and unlawful threats.
It stressed that Iran's Armed Forces will continue their defensive operations with full strength and that the Islamic Republic will employ all available means to exercise its inherent right of self-defense under international law.
The statement described the continued naval blockade of Iran as an act of aggression under the 1974 UN General Assembly Resolution 3314 on the Definition of Aggression, arguing that the blockade, together with attacks on military and civilian targets, infrastructure and Iranian citizens, constitutes a clear violation of the UN Charter.
The Foreign Ministry also criticized the United Nations Security Council for failing to fulfill its responsibility to address US and Israeli acts of aggression against Iran, despite repeated violations that Tehran said threaten international peace and security. It further criticized the UN secretary-general for an inadequate response.
Rejecting Washington's stated justifications for military action, including claims related to Iran's nuclear program and alleged imminent threats, the ministry said the real reason behind the US-Israeli campaign was Iran's insistence on preserving its independence, sovereignty and resistance to decades of American pressure.
The statement said the latest round of US military attacks, which began on July 8 during the funeral ceremonies of martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, was launched under the pretext of incidents involving three commercial vessels transiting the southern Strait of Hormuz.
According to the ministry, the vessels had been directed through an unauthorized and unsafe southern route despite provisions in Clause 5 of the ceasefire memorandum assigning Iran responsibility for managing future navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran argued that it had repeatedly warned against the use of that route and decried the United States and some regional partners for attempting to undermine the agreement while concealing military activities under the cover of commercial shipping.
The ministry also noted that US naval vessels had repeatedly operated alongside large commercial tankers and that American forces had used civilian vessels to transport military personnel and equipment. It stated that one US Central Command warship transited the southern route under the cover of a liquefied natural gas carrier on the day the incidents occurred.
The statement further stated that Washington's military response to the alleged shipping incidents, coupled with President Donald Trump's subsequent announcement ending the ceasefire memorandum, revoking Iran's oil export authorization and restoring the naval blockade, demonstrated that the escalation had been planned in advance.
The Foreign Ministry condemned the US attacks carried out with the support of the Israeli regime and assistance from certain regional countries, including by allowing their territory and facilities to be used.
At the same time, it reiterated that Iran seeks friendly relations with neighboring countries based on mutual respect and good neighborliness, while warning that defensive strikes against the origins of US attacks must not be portrayed as attacks on those regional states themselves.
The statement concluded by reaffirming Iran's determination to continue defending its sovereignty, national interests and security, describing the confrontation as not only a defense of Iran but also of the fundamental principles of international law against American and Israeli aggression.