IRAN PERSPECTIVE

Tehran, May 28, 2026. Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs published a clear statement on Tuesday: US strikes on the Bandar Abbas region constitute a blatant violation of Article 2, Section 4 of the UN Charter, as well as a breach of the April 8 ceasefire. For Tehran, the timing of these attacks — carried out precisely while Pakistan played an active mediation role — has 'once again exposed the bad faith and malicious intentions of the US ruling establishment before the Iranian nation, the region's peoples, and the international community.'

The US CENTCOM acknowledged conducting strikes in southern Iran, describing them as self-defense actions against missile launch sites and vessels attempting to lay mines near Bandar Abbas. Tehran rejects this version in its entirety. According to Iranian armed forces, the IRGC's air defense shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Persian Gulf waters, while forcing a RQ-4 Global Hawk surveillance drone and an F-35 fighter jet to leave Iranian airspace.

In direct response to strikes near the Bandar Abbas airport, the IRGC conducted targeted fire against the US airbase of origin. 'This response is a serious warning to the enemy: any act of aggression will receive a response,' the IRGC statement emphasizes, warning of a 'more decisive' reaction in case of recurrence. The IRGC stresses that 'the responsibility for the consequences lies with the aggressor.'

Meanwhile, the IRGC Navy forced a US oil tanker to turn back in the Strait of Hormuz after it had turned off its tracking system. 'Following a swift and decisive response, including warning shots at the vessel, the tanker was forced to stop and retrace its route,' Tasnim news agency reported. This incident falls within the framework of restrictions imposed by Tehran on the passage of enemy military vessels since the conflict began in February.

The IRGC Aerospace then escalated the tone: its communication chief, Ali Naderi, told IRIB-3 that 'if enemies resort to military action again, the Islamic Republic's confrontation method will be different from what they have seen so far.' He added: 'Our fingers are on the trigger.' These statements fit into an Iranian reading of the escalation as proof that Washington seeks to torpedo any diplomatic process.

Former IRGC commander Mohsen Rezaei had warned on Sunday that US military action in the Strait of Hormuz could trigger a broader regional conflict and lead Tehran to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. He described the US position — demanding simultaneous control of the Strait and transfer of enriched uranium stocks — as a complete impasse. For Tehran, the sequence of May 27-28 validates this analysis: US strikes on Bandar Abbas occur precisely at the moment when a framework agreement seemed possible, which, in Iranian eyes, reveals Washington's true intention.