The Iranian Foreign Ministry demanded on Thursday that the United Nations Security Council act to contain the United States in response to limited action against its attack drones, which Tehran claimed to respond to by bombing a U.S. air base.
The exchange of fire followed another kinetic action by the Pentagon in the beginning of the week that U.S. authorities described as contained and made in “self-defense” against missile launch sites and vessels with the capacity to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian terror state has blocked the free flow of regular commercial travel in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global waterway, for months in response to the United States launching Operation Epic Fury in February, which eliminated longtime dictator Ali Khamenei. In response the U.S. Navy has engaged in operations to stop Iranian ships from navigating the strait in an effort to pressure Tehran out of disrupting the world economy.
Operation Epic Fury is currently in a state of indefinite ceasefire announced by President Donald Trump as a means of facilitating negotiations towards a more permanent peace agreement. The president has emphasized repeatedly that, to end the conflict, he is demanding that Iran cease its uranium enrichment and other illicit nuclear activities incompatible with any known civilian uses. Iranian leaders have stated publicly that they are seeking in exchange the lifting of sanctions on the regime, unfreezing of its assets, and “reparations” for damages incurred in the conflict.
Talks appear ongoing at press time despite the reported exchange of fire, but the Iranian Foreign Ministry is nonetheless urging the United Nations to act against America.
Spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei accused the United States of launching an attack in the southern region of Bandar Abbas, which he called a “gross violation of international law and the United Nations Charter.” According to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), Baqaei insisted the U.N. Security Council has a “legal responsibility” to “hold the American aggressors accountable.”
The report did not specify what kind of action Tehran appears to expect from the Security Council for such accountability; the forum can pass resolutions condemning acts, which are largely symbolic, or impose sanctions on offending countries, which would cause financial consequences. The United States holds a permanent seat on the Security Council, which allows it to veto resolutions.
The Foreign Ministry’s objections were a response to a report that the U.S. military had targeted four Iranian drones and a drone control site in Bandar Abbas on Thursday, which Reuters reported was confirmed by an unnamed American official. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a U.S.-designated terrorist organization and formal arm of the Iranian military, confirmed that it had been attacked and threatened a “decisive” attack on the United States. The IRGC later claimed that it bombed an American air base in the region, without identifying its location or offering any other specifics.
“This response is a serious warning to the enemy that they should know the act of aggression will not go unanswered,” the IRGC claimed in a statement shared by pro-Iranian regime media. IRNA published a propaganda video showing unidentified hands decorating what appears to be a missile with jihadist messages, such as “with the weapon of faith and the slogan ‘Allahu Akbar’ we push our enemy back and humiliate them,” Another decoration shows boots stomping on an American flag.
NBC News reported, citing officials in America and Kuwait, that one Iranian missile was shot at a U.S. air base in Kuwait on Thursday, but was shot down and did no damage.
“A U.S. official said that American forces in Kuwait were the suspected target. Iran said it had targeted a U.S. base responsible for strikes late Wednesday in Bandar Abbas, an Iranian port city near the Strait of Hormuz,” NBC News reported.
The exchange shared similarities to a series of incidents on Monday and Tuesday, when U.S. Central Command revealed that it had conducted “self-defense” strikes on Iranian targets in Bandar Abbas to limit the risk of drone attacks and sea mines being planted in the Strait of Hormuz. The IRGC responded by claiming that it had downed an American drone, a claim the U.S. government has not confirmed at press time, and had “forced” an American fighter jet to flee the region. The IRGC similarly threatened renewed terrorist activity against the United States should more targeting continue.
Both sides have reportedly continued to negotiate a peace agreement and consider the ceasefire in vigor, albeit momentarily violated. On Thursday, the Washington, DC, news outlet Axios reported, citing American officials, that the Trump administration was close to a peace agreement with the Iranian regime, at least for the signing of a 60-day memorandum of understanding intended to pave the way for a more comprehensive arrangement. The memorandum of understanding would reportedly allow for the renewed free flow of commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, for both the rest of the world and for Iran, and commitment from Tehran not to work towards the development of a nuclear weapon.
“The U.S. will commit to discuss sanctions relief and the release of frozen Iranian funds as part of the negotiations,” according to Axios. “The MOU will also include a discussion of a mechanism to help Iran start receiving goods and humanitarian aid.”