In a statement posted Sunday on his X account, Araghchi said Iran had spent "two decades” studying U.S. military interventions in neighboring regions and had incorporated those lessons into what he described as a "Decentralized Mosaic Defense.” He maintained that bombings in Iran’s capital would not disrupt Tehran’s operational capabilities or strategic planning.

Araghchi also criticized Washington’s regional posture, arguing that U.S. military deployments near Iran’s borders have contributed to instability. He reiterated Tehran’s position that its actions are defensive in nature and framed recent operations as calibrated responses to what he called "direct threats” against Iranian sovereignty. The foreign minister did not provide specific operational details but emphasized that Iran would "respond proportionately to any escalation.”

The IRGC later issued "Announcement No. 4,” asserting that during the fifth wave of "Operation True Promise 4,” Iranian forces struck an ammunition vessel at Jebel Ali anchorage in the United Arab Emirates using four drones, rendering it inoperable. The statement further claimed that four ballistic missiles and 12 drones hit an American naval base in Kuwait’s Abdullah Mubarak area, destroying infrastructure and causing numerous U.S. casualties. It also alleged that an MST-class combat support ship transporting fuel for American vessels in the Indian Ocean was struck by Iranian Qadr 380 missiles.

In response, United States Central Command (CENTCOM) disputed Iran’s narrative. In a public statement, CENTCOM accused Tehran of targeting civilian infrastructure across multiple countries, listing airports in Dubai and Kuwait, hotels in the Gulf, residential areas in Israel and Bahrain, and energy facilities in Israel among affected sites. "The Iranian Regime is actively targeting civilians,” the command said, contradicting remarks by Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations that Tehran’s response was limited solely to U.S. military bases and assets.