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🇰🇷 South Korea /Conflict & Security

US Attacks Iran Again; Tehran Claims Retaliatory Strike on US Air Base

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Ongoing story
  • The U.S. conducted a second attack on Iran in two days, targeting a military base near Bandar Abbas, escalating tensions despite ongoing ceasefire talks.
  • Iran retaliated by claiming to have attacked a U.S. Air Force base, reportedly in Kuwait, in response to the American strikes.
  • These actions risk undermining the fragile trust built through mediation efforts, potentially derailing the ceasefire negotiations.

The fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran is under strain as the U.S. conducted a second military strike in as many days, targeting a military base near the strategic port city of Bandar Abbas in southern Iran. This latest action, occurring on May 27th (local time), follows a U.S. strike on May 25th and raises serious concerns about the stability of the ongoing MOU negotiations aimed at ending the conflict.

This was a deliberate and purely defensive measure to maintain the ceasefire.

— U.S. Central CommandStatement justifying the U.S. strike on an Iranian military base.

The U.S. Central Command stated that it intercepted four Iranian attack drones and preemptively struck the Bandar Abbas base before a fifth drone could be launched. U.S. officials reported that F/A-18, F-16, and F-35 fighter jets were involved in downing the drones, with an F/A-18 then targeting the ground control system. Central Command characterized the operation as a "deliberate and purely defensive measure to maintain the ceasefire."

Iran's state-run media reported explosions near Bandar Abbas early on May 28th, with its air defense systems briefly activated. The exact location and cause of the blasts remained unclear at the time of reporting. The U.S. had previously claimed its May 25th strikes targeted Iranian missile sites and vessels attempting to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz, asserting these were defensive actions to protect U.S. forces.

We will not let any hostile act go unanswered.

— IranOfficial statement from Iran condemning the U.S. attack and vowing retaliation.

Tehran vehemently condemned the U.S. strikes as a "grave violation of the ceasefire" and vowed retaliation. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed to have shot down a U.S. drone and engaged other U.S. aircraft. While the U.S. maintains its actions were defensive, Iran views them as a blatant breach of the existing truce. The repeated military actions, especially during ongoing negotiations, risk eroding the trust painstakingly built through mediation, potentially leading to a critical turning point in the talks depending on Iran's response.

This response is a warning, and if the attacks are repeated, our response will be more decisive.

— Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)Statement from the IRGC regarding their retaliatory strike on a U.S. Air Force base.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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