Iran condemns US attacks on commercial vessels, says forces responded in ‘self-defense’

In a statement, the Iranian Foreign Ministry described the US attacks on Iranian commercial vessels in the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman as a continuation of Washington’s “military aggression, maritime blockade and economic war” against Tehran.

The ministry said the US actions constituted a “clear violation” of the UN Charter and international law, warning that they were escalating tensions and threatening regional and international peace and security.

It said that in response to US attacks on Iranian oil tankers, Iran’s armed forces exercised what Tehran described as its “inherent right to legitimate self-defense” by targeting US military bases and facilities in Jordan, which it accused of supporting US military operations against Iran.

Iranian forces also targeted several US vessels in what the ministry described as “defensive strikes.”

The ministry stressed Iran’s determination to defend its sovereignty and national interests, saying its armed forces would respond decisively to any military attack.

It also called on the UN Security Council and other international organizations to take immediate action to halt what Tehran described as US violations of international peace and security.

The statement comes amid the ongoing US-Iran conflict, which has increasingly extended to maritime routes in and around the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman, with both sides reporting attacks on military and commercial vessels.

Earlier Wednesday, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had targeted two US vessels and eight oil tankers in response to US attacks on five Iranian oil tankers.