- US will no longer have a safe haven in the Middle East, Iran’s supreme leader vows
The Iranian Revolutionary Guards has said it has the right to respond to any US ceasefire breach after Washington launched strikes on southern Iran overnight.
US Central Command called the strikes “self-defence” and said they targeted “missile launch sites and Iranian boats attempting to emplace mines”.
The IRGC said it had identified “invading American fighter jets and drones” in a statement carried by state media – an apparent reference to the strikes.
It said it shot down an MQ-9 drone when it activated its defences and also claimed to have forced another drone and US fighter jet to “flee”.
It added: “The IRGC has warned against any violation of the ceasefire by the aggressive US army and considers its right to reciprocal response legitimate and certain.”
Meanwhile, Iran’s supreme leader has warned that countries in the Middle East “will no longer be a shield for American bases”.
In a statement issued to mark the Hajj, an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Mojtaba Khamenei said: “The hands of the clock will not turn back, and the nations and countries of the region will no longer be a shield for American bases. America will no longer have a safe haven for mischief and the establishment of military bases in the region.”
We have only heard from Khamenei a handful of times since the war began with strikes that killed his father, the former supreme leader.
According to reports, Khamenei was injured in the attacks and he has not been seen publicly since, despite issuing written statements such as this.
Written with reports from Sky News
