The US bombs "Iranian facilities" and brings the ceasefire into unknown territory
This is the first time the US army has attacked infrastructures on Iranian territory since the ceasefire began
WashingtonThe ceasefire enters unknown territory after the new episode of crossfire between the US and Iran, which represents an unprecedented escalation since the start of the truce. The US Army's Central Command (Centcom) reported this Thursday that it had attacked "Iranian facilities responsible for attacking US forces." Centcom issued the statement, where it strives to emphasize the "defensive" nature of the action, after Iranian state media reported several explosions in Bandar Abbas and on Qeshm Island, near the Strait of Hormuz. It is the first time since hostilities were agreed to cease on April 8 that the US has bombed Iranian territory again. Until now, the offensives had been against Iranian ships amid a US counter-blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.
In principle, attacking facilities means de facto breaking the truce, as Iranian territory has been attacked. But US President Donald Trump has once again dismissed the episode and said in statements to ABC News that it was just a "love tap." "The ceasefire is still ongoing. It is in effect," he said on television in a phone call. Once again, missiles are flying over the region, but it is insisted that nothing is happening here and that the pause remains intact. On Thursday evening (Friday Catalan early morning), the White House reported that the president would make statements this Friday from the Rose Garden. Nothing was reported about what, the event was simply included in the agenda.
The exercise in rhetorical gymnastics is increasingly convoluted and difficult to justify in the face of evidence. If we ignore all the contradictory messages between one party and the other, what has been happening in the Gulf since Monday is a new escalation that is worsening with each passing day while diplomatic talks remain stalled. On Monday, the US sank six Iranian ships and admits to intercepting three Iranian missiles that were aimed at its ships; now Centcom is already talking about an attack on enemy territory.
Centcom assures that the escalation was initiated by Iran, which "launched multiple missiles, drones, and small boats while the USS Truxtun (DDG 103), USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115), and USS Mason (DDG 87) were transiting the international maritime strait." It emphasizes that this was an "unprovoked attack" that was met "with self-defense attacks." And concludes: "Centcom does not seek escalation, but remains positioned and prepared to protect American forces.
In parallel, in a Truth Social post, Trump has once again threatened Iran to accept reaching an agreement to end the war. Otherwise, it will suffer new "more violent" attacks. "Just as we have taken them out of action today, we will take them out of action much stronger, and much more violently, in the future, if they do not sign their Agreement, QUICKLY!" he wrote.
Initially, Iran had accused the US of violating the ceasefire with the attack on Bandar Abbas and Qeshm, but later Iranian state television said the situation had returned to normal. After several hours of fighting, "the situation in the Iranian islands and coastal cities of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to normal". A spokesperson for the Iranian army also told state television that Tehran will respond if attacked: "The US and its allies must know that Iran will respond with strength and without the slightest hesitation to any act of aggression or attack".
The management of the ceasefire is not far from how a fictitious calm is being attempted to be maintained so that the price of oil does not skyrocket further. Although Trump has repeatedly said that he was on the verge of reaching an agreement with the Iranians and that this has not happened, the markets continue to believe him. In the same way that they continue to decide to believe that the ceasefire has not been broken. On Monday, when the crossfire reignited, crude oil once again shot up above $100 a barrel, but when the US president said the pause remained active, the price plummeted below $100. Even the Republican himself is surprised, and in recent days has admitted that he expected the price of fuel to skyrocket to $200 or $300, but it has remained only around $100.
