TEHRAN - Iran's swift retaliatory response to the latest US military strikes has laid bare the high level of preparedness and combat capability of its armed forces, reaffirming their determination to safeguard the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity against any act of foreign aggression.

The United States launched attacks on sites in southern Iran, including Qeshm Island, early on Wednesday. US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced in a statement that it had "completed a new round of offensive strikes against Iran on July 7, hitting more than 80 targets with precision munitions." Iranian military authorities said eight Army personnel were martyred while defending the country against the US aggression in Bandar Abbas and Bushehr. Separate reports also said an IRGC member was martyred in the attacks.

Washington also revoked a temporary sanctions waiver that had allowed Iran to export oil. The move came after attacks on three commercial vessels on Tuesday. Iran has maintained that vessels may transit the Strait of Hormuz only in coordination with Iranian authorities and through designated shipping lanes.

The US attacks constitute a clear violation of the Pakistan-brokered Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Tehran and Washington on June 17. The 14-point MoU called for a permanent end to hostilities on all fronts and committed both sides to continue negotiations on a final agreement within 60 days.

The MoU reinforced the April 8 ceasefire, which halted the joint US-Israeli aggression against Iran that began on February 28.

Speaking at the NATO summit in Ankara, President Donald Trump declared that the ceasefire with Iran was over. He also used inflammatory language against Iran's leadership, describing them as "scum" and "sick people."

Trump further criticized NATO allies and European countries for refusing to provide military support for his campaign against Iran.

Iran retaliates

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said it struck 85 US military targets in Bahrain and Kuwait with missiles and drones in an initial response to American aggression.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the IRGC said the strikes targeted facilities at Port Salman, where the US Fifth Fleet operates in Bahrain, and Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait.

The IRGC said the latest US strikes were intended to overshadow the massive funeral processions held in Iran and Iraq for the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

Millions of mourners attended funeral ceremonies in Tehran, Qom, and the Iraqi holy cities of Najaf and Karbala.

Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, which coordinates joint military operations between the IRGC and the Army, warned that any source of support for the "aggressor US army" would be regarded as a legitimate target.

"The source of any support for the aggressor US army in violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran will be considered a legitimate target for the armed forces," it said.

'Flagrant violation' of the MoU

Iran's Foreign Ministry also condemned the US military strikes as a "flagrant violation" of the MoU.

"The repetition of illegal attacks against Iran, alongside last night's decision by the US Treasury to revoke the license for Iran's oil exports, which the US government had committed to under paragraph 10 of the memorandum of understanding, the violation of Iranian arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as the continuation of the Zionist regime's military aggression and terrorist acts against Lebanon, have rendered important and fundamental parts of the MoU on ending the conflict ineffective," the ministry said on Wednesday. 

Senior adviser to Iran's Leader, Ali Akbar Velayati, also issued a stern warning against US "adventurism."

"We had already warned that the region is no place for the political gambling of small states, and we have repeatedly proven that any act of adventurism will be met with an immediate response," Velayati said.

He added that "responsibility for the latest escalation, as well as the public announcement that the memorandum of understanding has been scrapped, lies with the notorious rogue politician linked to the Epstein scandal. Having repeatedly violated the MoU, he is once again pushing the region toward the brink of war."

Velayati further warned that "the Axis of Resistance will not remain silent in the face of humiliation and adventurism. Seeking justice for the blood of the martyred Leader and the cleansing of the region, it has its finger on the trigger."

The ‘era of bullying’ is over 

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, who also serves as Tehran's top negotiator with Washington, sharply criticized the United States for repeatedly violating the MoU.

He cited major American breaches of the agreement, including violations of Iran's arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz, continued threats of further military strikes, the reinstatement of oil sanctions, and Israeli strikes in Lebanon. 

"The era of bullying and extortion is over. It leads nowhere. We don't fold," Qalibaf said.

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, also said that over the past three weeks the United States had repeatedly violated Articles 1 and 2 of the MoU through Israel's actions in Lebanon and continued threats against Iran.

"Iran, while issuing a serious warning about the consequences of the United States' breach of its commitments, will take decisive measures to safeguard its national interests and national security," Gharibabadi wrote on X on Wednesday.

The United States and Israel launched their war on Iran on February 28 to destroy Iran's military capabilities and change the country's leadership in their favor. After 39 days of war, they failed to achieve their objectives, forcing Washington to agree to the April 8 ceasefire.

Democrats and several Republicans have expressed strong opposition to the US war on Iran, arguing that it has fueled inflation, driven up fuel prices, and worsened the cost-of-living crisis in the United States. According to Moody's, the war has cost American families an estimated $100 billion.

Much of the economic impact has been linked to Iran's full control of the Strait of Hormuz since the outbreak of the conflict.

During the war, Iran carried out 100 waves of missile and drone strikes against Israeli targets and US military bases across the region. According to US media reports, Iranian attacks inflicted significant damage on American military installations and equipment.

The US-Israeli war against Iran has been described by mainstream Western media outlets as a strategic failure. Through both military resistance and diplomacy, Tehran maintained its position and compelled Washington to negotiate on terms reflected in the 14-point MoU.

Despite that agreement, the latest US attacks indicate that Washington has once again chosen military pressure over adherence to its own commitments.

Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters has stressed that the Islamic Republic's Armed Forces would deliver a "crushing response" to any further aggression, pledging that they would never allow Washington or its allies to interfere in Iran's management of the Strait of Hormuz.

The latest retaliatory operation demonstrated that Iran's military command structure, missile capabilities, and strategic decision-making remain fully operational despite months of conflict. Rather than weakening Iran's deterrence, the renewed US attacks have reinforced Tehran's resolve to respond swiftly and decisively to any violation of its sovereignty.

With Washington openly declaring the ceasefire dead while continuing military strikes and economic pressure, the Pakistan-brokered MoU now stands at a critical crossroads. If the United States continues repeated breaches of the MoU, the prospect of diplomacy will diminish further, leaving the region increasingly vulnerable to a broader and more dangerous military confrontation.