The USS Michael Murphy patrolling the Arabian Sea during a maritime blockade in April. AFP
In a statement carried by Tasnim News Agency, Iran's foreign ministry said US forces attacked radar and coastal monitoring installations in the Sirik region and on Qeshm Island early on Saturday, describing the strikes as a "blatant violation" of the 8 April ceasefire agreement and an attack on Iran's sovereignty.
Tehran added that the facilities were responsible for protecting Iran's borders and ensuring maritime security in international waterways.
The accusation came after US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it had shot down four Iranian drones launched toward the Strait of Hormuz, which it said posed a threat to maritime navigation through the strategic waterway.
CENTCOM said it later carried out strikes against Iranian coastal surveillance radar sites on Qeshm Island and in Gorouk "in defense against further attacks", adding that US forces remained on high alert to respond to any "unjustified Iranian aggression" in self-defence.
CNN, citing a US official, reported that none of the vessels operating in the area had been hit by the drones.
At the same time, Bahrain and Kuwait reported fresh Iranian missile attacks, the second such strikes against the two Gulf states in three days.
Bahrain, which hosts the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet, said seven missiles fired by Iran toward Bahrain and Kuwait were intercepted. Authorities in Manama described the attacks as a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of both countries.
An AFP journalist reported hearing explosions in the Bahraini capital as air raid sirens sounded across the kingdom.
In Kuwait, witnesses reported repeated blasts near the country's international airport. Kuwait later reopened its airspace after temporarily suspending flights during the attacks, with authorities saying 11 commercial flights had been diverted.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards Council (IRGC) said they had targeted what they described as "enemy bases" in Kuwait.
CENTCOM said six of the missiles launched toward Bahrain and Kuwait were intercepted, while a seventh failed to reach its intended target.
Iran said the latest incident showed that Washington had no intention of reducing tensions or contributing to regional stability.
"Repeated US violations of the ceasefire once again prove that Washington lacks any intention to reduce tensions or return to the path of stability," the foreign ministry said, according to Tasnim.
The ministry warned that the United States was jeopardizing regional security through what it called "adventurist actions" and said Washington would bear responsibility for the consequences of any future escalation.
Iran also reaffirmed what it described as its right to self-defence under Article 51 of the United Nations (UN) Charter and said it would use all available means to protect its sovereignty, security and national interests.
The ministry said Iranian forces had responded under what it described as their right to self-defence, citing Article 51 of the UN Charter, and called on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and the Secretary-General to respond to what it called repeated violations of the ceasefire.
Tehran also urged neighbouring countries to prevent their territory or facilities from being used to support hostile operations against Iran, invoking the principle of good-neighborly relations and international law.
Arab Gulf countries have vejemently denied allowing the US use their territories to launcjh attacks on Iran.
Separately, the Iranian military said two US Navy destroyers withdrew from the Gulf of Oman after Iranian naval forces issued warnings using Qadir missiles and newly deployed Shahed Dana attack drones, a claim that could not be independently verified.
The latest exchanges underscore the fragility of the April ceasefire, which halted the US-Israeli war on Iran, but has failed to prevent recurring attacks across the Gulf and around the Strait of Hormuz.
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