On Saturday, the British merchant shipping safety authority UKMTO announced that a cargo ship had been hit by an unknown missile. The exact background to this incident initially remained unclear. According to Centcom, the ship was the Panamanian-flagged “Kiku.” The tanker left Qatar on Thursday and was on its way to the United Arab Emirates, the New York Times reported, citing a US official.
Trump threatens Iran
US President Donald Trump showed up on the platform Truth Social meanwhile angry with Iran. The US attack was in retaliation for another ceasefire violation by Iran, he wrote. “It’s quite possible that they will never learn! There may come a point where we can no longer be rational and will be forced to militarily complete the work that we have begun very successfully,” Trump continued.
The US President once again threatened Tehran: “If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist!”
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard stressed in its statement that the attacks in Kuwait and Bahrain were a response to recent US aggression. The USA would have violated the framework agreement with Tehran to resolve the war and the current ceasefire.
Revolutionary Guards: USA broke ceasefire
Under the agreement, there are arrangements with the Islamic Republic to control shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, the IRGC said. From now on, ships that violated the agreement would be fought more harshly than before. Any aggression from the enemy will result in a devastating response. The enemy should be aware that breaking the ceasefire will end the entire process.
Middle East expert: USA must make strategic decision
Israeli Iran expert Danny Citrinowicz had already warned before Iran’s retaliatory strike that another US attack on the Islamic Republic would not solve the problem over the disputed strait, but would only lead to further counterattacks.
“Iran is likely to react, and these reactions will inevitably have an impact on the Strait of Hormuz,” Citrinowicz wrote on X. Rather, the US government must now make a strategic decision. “The administration cannot realistically expect both full freedom of navigation in the Strait and a viable agreement with Iran without addressing Tehran’s core position on this issue.” The Iranian leadership has shown time and again that it is unlikely to give in on an issue that it sees as a matter of sovereignty.
