Ankara / Anadolu

An Iranian military spokesperson said that his country will not allow the United States to intervene in the Strait of Hormuz, and stressed that this represents a "red line" that cannot be crossed.

Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted Ibrahim Zolfaqari, spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters of the Iranian Army, as saying that the United States continues to "destabilize" the region through its attacks.

He added that "the United States, as a country outside the region, will not be allowed under any circumstances to intervene in the Strait of Hormuz; this is a red line on which Iran will not compromise."

Zolfaqari hinted that if the United States targets Iranian infrastructure, Iran will target all infrastructure in the region, adding that it "will not leave a trace of them."

On Thursday, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement that its forces launched strikes targeting coastal defense sites and cruise missiles on the Iranian island of Greater Tunb, during a 90-minute wave.

CENTCOM says the strikes aim to continue "undermining Iran's ability to threaten sailors aboard commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz."

In response, Tehran has for days been shelling what it says are U.S. military facilities in Arab countries, including Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan, while some of these states have reported that the Iranian attacks resulted in civilian casualties and damaged civilian infrastructure.

On June 18 last, Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding that included a ceasefire, and began negotiations mediated by Pakistan and Qatar to end the war launched by the United States and Israel on Iran on February 28 last.

However, U.S. President Donald Trump announced on July 8 the end of the ceasefire amid renewed escalation, after Iran attacked three ships while they were transiting the Strait of Hormuz the day before, claiming they did not adhere to the navigation route it had set, prompting Washington to launch attacks on sites inside Iran.

Washington supports the passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz via a route different from the one set by Iran, which Tehran rejects, affirming that it targets any vessel that does not coordinate with it before crossing the strategic strait for global energy supplies.