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These denunciations are not isolated. Iran has consistently accused the United States of breaking the ceasefire since it was declared. On May 7, a spokesperson for Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters lodged a similar accusation after US strikes targeted ships at the Strait of Hormuz and positions across Hormozgan province . The pattern of accusation and counter-accusation has become a hallmark of the truce, with both sides conducting strikes while blaming the other.

Claims of a Military Response: Drones and Fighter Jets

Beyond diplomatic language, Iran reported taking direct military action during the latest exchange. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed its forces shot down a US Reaper drone and fired upon an F-35 fighter jet that allegedly entered Iranian airspace during the strikes . While these claims remain difficult to independently verify, they serve a clear purpose in Tehran's messaging: demonstrating that Iran will not passively absorb attacks.

The IRGC also issued a broader warning, stating it “considers its right to reciprocal response to be legitimate and certain” and vowing to retaliate against any future ceasefire violations . This language leaves little ambiguity about the potential for escalation.

The Core Threat: 'Long and Painful Strikes'

Before the May strikes, Iran had already laid out the potential scope of its retaliation. On April 30 and May 1, senior Iranian officials — including members of the IRGC — publicly warned that any renewed US attacks, even limited ones, would be met with "long and painful strikes" on American positions throughout the region . This threat was paired with a firm restatement of Iran's claim to control the Strait of Hormuz, the chokepoint through which 20% of the world's oil previously transited .

This posture directly complicates a central US demand: the full reopening of the strait. Iran has effectively kept the waterway closed in response to a US naval blockade of its oil exports, and its leadership has signaled that even in a potential peace deal, “the Strait of Hormuz will still be under Iranian management” . The threats are not idle rhetoric. Since the war began on February 28, Iran has demonstrated a wide strike radius, targeting US embassies, military installations, and oil infrastructure — including vessels in the Strait of Hormuz — with missiles and drones .

A Ceasefire Already Broken and Talks at a Standstill

The truce brokered in early April now exists more in name than in fact. Both the US and Iran have conducted offensive operations, with each side justifying its actions as "defensive" or "self-defense" . The ceasefire has been repeatedly described by observers as "fragile" and "tenuous" .

Peace talks mediated by Pakistan have not resolved the fundamental standoff. Iran responded to a US ceasefire proposal on May 10 by insisting that negotiations must focus on permanently ending the war "on all fronts," including in Lebanon, and securing shipping lanes . Washington, meanwhile, continues to demand the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and a rollback of Iran's nuclear program, while President Trump has threatened to resume full-scale bombing if an agreement is not reached .

The May 25-26 strikes have further poisoned the atmosphere for diplomacy. With the ceasefire repeatedly violated, an explicit Iranian threat of "long and painful strikes" on US positions, and both sides hardening their core demands — particularly over control of the strait — the risk of a full return to open hostilities is material. The diplomatic track is under extreme pressure, and the window for a negotiated settlement is narrowing as both nations ready their military responses.