Tehran: Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Saturday claimed responsibility for launching retaliatory strikes on US military installations in the Gulf, describing the attacks as a response to recent American airstrikes on Iranian territory, according to Iranian state television.

The escalation comes after the US military said it had conducted strikes on targets inside Iran following accusations that Tehran was behind a drone attack on a commercial vessel passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement carried by state television on Telegram, the Revolutionary Guards warned that any further military action by Washington would invite a stronger response.

‘If the aggression is repeated, our response will be broader than this,’ the statement said.

Meanwhile, US Vice President JD Vance defended Washington's position, insisting that the United States had adhered to the ceasefire agreement, formally described as a memorandum of understanding (MOU).

‘Iran signed a ceasefire agreement. We have honored it. If they have disagreements about how the MOU is being applied, they can pick up the phone. But violence will be met with violence,’ Vance wrote on X.

The exchange marks a fresh spike in tensions between Tehran and Washington despite the existence of a ceasefire framework, raising concerns over the stability of the Gulf region.