US official says strikes targeted Iranian air defenses, missile and drone sites

Former US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said on Tuesday the memorandum of understanding with Iran was "going in the wrong direction" but that Washington had not yet committed to it.

Haley told CNBC that the US should take advantage of what she described as Iran's current economic and military weakness to negotiate a deal that would fully eliminate Tehran's nuclear program.

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on Tuesday that the US decision to revoke a waiver allowing Iranian oil sales was a "blatant violation" of Article 10 of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding.

"In the past three weeks, America has also repeatedly violated Articles 1 and 2 of the Memorandum of Understanding due to the actions of the Zionist regime in Lebanon and threatening statements against Iran. Iran, while issuing a serious warning regarding the consequences of America's breach of the agreement, will take decisive actions to safeguard its national interests and security," he posted on X.

US Central Command said on Tuesday night its forces had begun launching a series of strikes against Iran in response to attacks on three commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

CENTCOM said the strikes were intended to “impose heavy costs” on Iran for targeting commercial shipping crewed by civilians in an international waterway.

"Iran’s demonstrated aggression was unwarranted, dangerous, and a clear violation of the ceasefire," the US military said in a post on X.

Iranian hardline lawmaker Mojtaba Zarei lashed out at Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over Turkey’s hosting of a NATO summit, saying he wished he could carry out what he called a “martyrdom” attack against the person he accused of killing Ali Khamenei.

“Death to Erdogan, who is hosting the killer of the martyred imam at the NATO summit in Turkey, even as the funeral procession of this divine leader is being held in Iran and Iraq,” Zarei said.

“I wish I were a brave Turkish citizen so I could send the killer to hell in the streets of Ankara in a martyrdom operation,” he added in a post on X.

Egypt has decided to limit this year’s ceremony marking the 47th anniversary of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi’s death to a private gathering of the Pahlavi family, exiled Queen Farah Pahlavi said in a post on X.

"This year, due to security concerns as well as the turbulent and unsettled regional situation, the Egyptian government has deemed it appropriate for the ceremony to be held as a limited gathering, only for the Pahlavi family," Farah Pahlavi said in a message to Iranians.

She thanked Egypt and its presidents for their longstanding support over decades and “brotherly” kindness toward the Pahlavi family.

The exiled queen urged Iranians to respect the decision, saying that in their absence, she would honor the late shah on behalf of all those who had supported the annual commemoration.