Iran Says Military Freedom Continues After US Strikes Kill Seven Troops

Iran’s top negotiator Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf stated on July 15 that the country’s armed forces have complete freedom of action against the enemy’s aggression after US attacks killed seven Iranian troops. The strikes formed the latest round in days of escalating hostilities that ended an interim peace deal agreed on June 17.

The US announced several rounds of air strikes overnight Tuesday and again on Wednesday, hitting military targets near the Strait of Hormuz, on Greater Tunb island, and a barracks in Bampour that killed seven personnel from the 388th Brigade.

Iranian media reported an additional strike on a wheat storage facility in Khuzestan province, which the US military denied. The US began its latest wave at 10:30pm Iranian time and redirected two commercial vessels under a renewed blockade on Iranian ports that started the previous night. Tehran said the attacks voided the memorandum of understanding.

Ghalibaf described the situation as an essential and existential war with America and said Iran had no reason to continue adhering to the peace agreement. Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said commitments remain only as long as the other side fulfils its pledges and added that Tehran has no plans for further talks.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it targeted the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain and a logistics hub in Mina Abdullah, Kuwait.

Kuwait’s Ministry of Defence reported downing four cruise missiles and 21 drones, while Jordan’s military said it downed three missiles. Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jasem AlBudaiwi condemned the attacks. US President Donald Trump warned Tuesday that strikes would intensify without negotiations and threatened to knock out power plants and bridges, though he declined a firm deadline on Wednesday.