Tehran warns Washington against breaching fragile ceasefire

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the IRGC said the “terrorist US army,” in continuation of its interventionist and aggressive actions in the region, entered Iranian airspace, prompting the IRGC air defense units to respond after precise intelligence monitoring.

According to the statement, IRGC air defense forces identified and destroyed an MQ-9 drone. It added that Iranian forces also fired at an RQ-4 drone and a hostile F-35 fighter jet, forcing them to flee and leave Iran’s territorial airspace.

The IRGC warned against any violation of the ceasefire by the United States, stressing that Iran considers its right to retaliate legitimate and definite.

The statement comes a day after US forces launched overnight strikes on targets in southern Iran, including military and radar facilities near the Persian Gulf coast, in what Washington described as a response to rising tensions and alleged threats to American forces in the region.

The ceasefire between Tehran and Washington took effect on April 8, pausing 40 days of fighting that erupted following US-Israeli attacks on Iran that led to the assassination of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and several top commanders.

The ceasefire was brokered by Pakistan, which is still engaged in efforts to bring a permanent end to the war.