It added that Tehran “will not leave any evil unanswered and will not hesitate to defend the Iranian nation”, without elaborating.
In a statement marking the start of the Eid al-Adha holiday, Tehran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei declared that Washington was losing its influence in the Middle East and warned countries in the region to stop hosting bases from which the US could launch attacks.
The United States, he said in a written statement, “in addition to no longer having any safe haven in the region for aggression and the establishment of military bases, is moving further and further away from its former position with each passing day”.
Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for US Central Command, said: “US forces conducted self-defence strikes in southern Iran today to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces.”
‘We’ll see’
He gave few details of the attacks and said only that the targets included missile launch sites and boats trying to “emplace mines”.
Despite the strikes, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that a deal remained within reach.
But he remained firm on the Strait of Hormuz, the key oil and gas shipping route which Iran is seeking to control.
“There were some talks going on in Qatar today, so we’ll see if we can make progress. I think it’s a lot of talking back and forth going on about specific language in the initial document, so it’ll take a few days,” Rubio told reporters, during a visit to India.
He said the strait was “going to be open one way or the other,” adding: “What’s happening there is unlawful, it’s illegal, it’s unsustainable for the world, it’s unacceptable.”
Tasnim news agency said Tehran’s negotiators are seeking the release of frozen assets, with half to be made available once an initial memorandum of understanding is signed.
Iranian state broadcaster IRIB said a top delegation returned from a two-day visit to Qatar and Tehran said it was finalising a 14-point framework for a deal on ending the war, which began with US-Israeli airstrikes on February 28.
“Iran’s frozen assets are to be released during the course of the negotiations, and this amount is estimated at $24 billion in accordance with the 14-point memorandum of understanding,” Tasnim said.
Internet partially restored
The new US strikes threaten the ceasefire that began on April 8 as the US and Iran struggle to reach an accord.
China, Washington’s great power rival and a major energy importer, expressed concern.
“We urge the parties concerned to fulfil their ceasefire commitments, resolve disputes through peaceful means … and promote the early restoration of peace,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters.
Hopes of an accord took another blow when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to “crush” Hezbollah in Lebanon this week.
Iran has demanded that any peace accord apply to the fighting in Lebanon as well.
An Israeli military official told AFP they were expanding their ground operations inside Lebanon, sending forces beyond their self-declared “Yellow Line”, already 10km deep into the country.
In better news for Iranians, internet connectivity saw a “partial restoration” after nearly three months of blackout, monitor NetBlocks said, calling it the “longest nationwide internet shutdown in modern history”.
Iran’s Vice-President later confirmed the “first step” had been taken towards restoring the internet for Iranians, adding that the demands of Iranians “will be fulfilled”.
“Since a few minutes ago I could open international websites using my home internet provider,” said a 22-year-old woman from the western city of Kermanshah who declined to be named, but she said she still needed VPNs for social media.
– AFP
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