Iran warns against challenging Hormuz control as US-Iran truce frays

Iran's foreign minister warned Sunday that any attempt to bypass Tehran's control of the Strait of Hormuz would deepen tensions and delay its reopening, as the US-Iran truce showed signs of serious strain.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made the remarks in Baghdad after both sides exchanged strikes over the past two nights.

Why is Iran warning about Strait of Hormuz control?

Iran is warning that alternative shipping arrangements outside its authority will complicate negotiations and delay the strait's reopening. Araghchi said any such attempt would increase tensions, as recent exchanges have shown. He urged all parties to follow the memorandum of understanding, signed in mid-June, rather than pursue separate arrangements.

What did Iran's foreign minister say in Baghdad?

Araghchi called on all parties to adhere to the memorandum of understanding brokered under Pakistan's mediation and said it should not be allowed to deviate from its agreed course. His remarks came after Iran condemned what it described as fresh U.S. airstrikes on monitoring and surveillance facilities along its southern coast. Iran's Foreign Ministry said it "strongly condemns" the strikes and stressed its determination to defend national sovereignty.

Iran and the United States have accused each other of violating the fragile truce, raising fresh doubts about negotiations intended to end the conflict. Tehran said it launched a third consecutive day of retaliatory strikes following U.S. attacks on Iranian territory. The exchanges have continued despite the memorandum of understanding reached in mid-June.

What is Iran's Revolutionary Guard doing in the Strait of Hormuz?

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they were tightening control over shipping in the strait, a vital global maritime route, and warned that vessels violating Tehran's regulations would face stronger action. The Guards said only a corridor running along Iran's coast is authorized for passage. They also claimed responsibility for strikes on eight U.S. military facilities at Ali al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait and the U.S. Fifth Fleet naval base in Port Salman, Bahrain.

Bahrain's Interior Ministry confirmed air raid sirens sounded twice on Sunday. The memorandum states that both countries and their allies will refrain from initiating military operations or threatening force against each other. "Any enemy aggression, whatever the pretext, even against insignificant targets, will have a crushing response," the Guards said.

What did Trump say about Iran and the ceasefire?

On Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran that it would "no longer exist" if Washington were forced to resume the war. His remarks followed U.S. strikes on multiple Iranian targets that Washington said were carried out after Iran violated the ceasefire. "United States aircraft just struck Iranian missile and drone storage locations, and coastal radar sites, for violating the Cease Fire Agreement, AGAIN!" Trump wrote on Truth Social.

U.S. Central Command said Saturday's strikes responded to an Iranian drone attack on the Panama-flagged oil tanker Kiku, carrying approximately 2 million barrels of crude oil. The operation targeted surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defense sites, drone storage facilities and minelayer capabilities. Iranian media reported explosions in the Sirik and Qeshm areas in southern Iran.

What does the US-Iran memorandum of understanding require?

Under the memorandum, Iran agreed to allow safe passage for commercial vessels through the strait without charge for 60 days, covering transit between the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman.

Iran has warned ships not to enter or leave the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz without permission, though vessels have continued transiting. The U.S. insists the strait must remain toll-free.

What is happening with Israel, Lebanon and Hezbollah?

Israel carried out strikes in Lebanon as Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem rejected a U.S.-backed agreement intended to secure long-term peace between Israel and Lebanon. Qassem called the agreement "humiliating, shameful and a surrender of sovereignty," urging full implementation of the US-Iran memorandum instead. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the agreement historic and described it as a blow to Iran and Hezbollah.

Netanyahu's security minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, criticized the deal, calling it "a big mistake" and insisting only Israeli forces could disarm Hezbollah.