Iran’s foreign ministry said the country would use all means to “legitimately defend the nation’s rights and security”.

In a statement carried by IRNA, the ministry said the defensive strikes by the “brave Iranian armed forces will continue with full might” as “the American enemy is committing acts of aggression against Iran through a continued naval blockade of Iranian ports”.

The statement said the US was “persisting in its bad faith regarding the implementation of the agreement to end the war” through “brutal attacks on various regions of the country, intensified economic pressure, and illegal threats”.

The ministry hailed “the unparalleled efforts of our nation’s glorious armed forces in the powerful defence of Iran’s sovereignty” and paid tribute to the “noble spirit of our martyred leader and all those who sacrificed their lives for Iran’s independence and honour”.

The ministry said it reaffirmed the country’s resolve to “continue the path of resistance and steadfastness until the complete elimination of the enemies’ malice”.