Iran Parliament Speaker Says Era of US Coercion Is Over

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Wednesday that the era of US pressure and intimidation against Tehran has come to an end, arguing that Washington's policies would no longer achieve their intended objectives, as military tensions between the two countries continued to escalate.

In a post published on his official X account, Ghalibaf said the United States could no longer achieve results through pressure or threats, stressing that Iran would neither retreat nor abandon what it considers its legitimate rights.

Ghalibaf, who headed Iran's delegation during negotiations in Switzerland that, through mediation by Qatar and Pakistan, resulted in the signing of a 14-point memorandum of understanding, accused Washington of repeatedly violating the agreement.

He listed what he described as US violations, including actions in the Strait of Hormuz, continued military threats against Iran, strikes on southern Iranian territory, the reimposition of oil sanctions, and the continuation of Israeli attacks on Lebanon.

Separately, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced what it described as an "initial response" to recent US strikes.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the IRGC said its naval and aerospace forces had carried out a joint missile and drone operation targeting 85 US military facilities, including Salman Port, the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, and Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait.

The statement also claimed that Iranian forces had shot down a US MQ-9 drone.

Earlier, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said American forces had carried out strikes against multiple Iranian military targets, including air defense systems, radar installations, and more than 60 small boats operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

According to CENTCOM, the operation was conducted in response to attacks on three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.