Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned on Tuesday that the United States would face retaliation after American forces announced a new round of strikes against IRGC targets inside Iran.
“The US will regret its new attacks,” IRGC spokesman Sardar Mohebi said, according to Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency. “A harsh punishment awaits the aggressors.”
The warning followed an announcement by US Central Command that American forces had begun renewed strikes against IRGC targets, marking another escalation in the conflict between Washington and Tehran.
The latest military action follows renewed exchanges between the two sides in recent days. US forces struck Iranian positions on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz, saying they had targeted IRGC forces posing an imminent threat to commercial shipping. Iran subsequently launched missile and drone attacks against US military positions in the region.
Hostilities between Iran and the United States have continued since the wider war began with strikes on Iran in late February, disrupting regional security and international energy markets.
Diplomatic efforts have periodically sought to halt the fighting. A framework agreement was reached in June following mediation involving Pakistan and Qatar, but disagreements between Washington and Tehran, particularly over navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, prevented a lasting settlement.
The United States subsequently launched a two-week bombing campaign in July and reimposed a naval blockade as the dispute over the strategically important waterway intensified.
Recent mediation efforts by Pakistan, Qatar and Oman have also failed to prevent renewed fighting, with the latest US strikes and Iranian threats raising the prospect of another significant escalation in the six-month conflict.
I can monitor the US-Iran escalation and let you know if there are major new developments.