Iran says US ceasefire violations reveal ill will

Iran's Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Tuesday warning that Washington's true behavior has been exposed and that no act of aggression will go unanswered. The statement said, "The perpetration of these aggressive actions, coinciding with the ongoing diplomatic process mediated by Pakistan, has once again laid bare the ill-will and bad faith of the United States' ruling establishment before the Iranian nation, the peoples of the region, and the international community." The statement did not specify the violations, but Iranian news agencies reported overnight explosion-like sounds in coastal areas east of Bandar Abbas and near Sirik and Jask. CENTCOM spokesman Timothy Hawkins acknowledged that American forces conducted strikes in southern Iran on Monday, claiming they were "self-defense strikes" targeting "missile launch sites and Iranian boats attempting to emplace mines" near the strategic port city of Bandar Abbas. The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) announced Tuesday that its air defense units shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper drone over Persian Gulf waters, while also forcing an RQ-4 Global Hawk surveillance drone and an F-35 stealth fighter to retreat from Iranian airspace. The Iranian Foreign Ministry emphasized the Islamic Republic’s principled approach across battlefield, streets, and diplomacy, based on "deep suspicion toward the American regime, rooted in a profound understanding of its malicious and criminal nature toward the Iranian people." The statement condemned the US actions as a clear violation of Article 2, Paragraph 4 of the UN Charter and the April 8 ceasefire agreement, holding Washington "responsible for all consequences stemming from these aggressive acts." It warned, "Without a doubt, the Islamic Republic of Iran will not leave any act of aggression unanswered, and will not hesitate in the slightest in defending the essence of Iran." The latest US attacks come in violation of a Pakistan‑brokered ceasefire agreement that has largely halted the US-Israeli war of aggression on Iran since early April. The war began on February 28 when the US and Israel launched unprovoked strikes against Iran, assassinating the Leader of the Islamic Revolution and targeting nuclear facilities, schools and hospitals. Iran responded with 100 waves of retaliatory strikes under Operation True Promise 4. A fragile ceasefire took effect on April 8, but peace talks have stalled over the US refusal to permanently end the war, lift sanctions, and release frozen assets. According to Mehr News Agency, the statement underscores Iran's position that the US cannot be trusted in negotiations.