Iran’s State-Censored Media Downplays Latest Military Clashes

Iran’s state-censored media largely downplayed recent military clashes between the United States and Iran, centered on the Strait of Hormuz and the area around the port city of Bandar Abbas. The media also downplayed the most recent incident, in which a U.S. tanker allegedly attempted to transit the strait with its transponder switched off, prompting a response from the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps navy, which fired warning shots at the vessel.

• May 28: Supreme National Security Council mouthpiece Nour News Agency, quoting “an informed military source,” reported on the latest military clashes between Iran and the United States:
  • “Hours ago, an American oil tanker attempted to pass through the Strait of Hormuz with its radar/transponder system turned off. Following a swift and decisive response by the IRGC navy, including warning fire directed toward the vessel, it was forced to stop and turn back … In response, the terrorist U.S. military fired at a barren area near Bandar Abbas. The sounds of explosions that were heard were related to this incident. The strike caused neither casualties nor material damage.”
• May 28: Center-right Farda News, quoting Saeed Ajorlou, a public relations member of the Iranian negotiating team, wrote:
  • Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad-Bagher “Qalibaf’s visit to Qatar to release $12 billion frozen Iranian assets was successful.”
• May 28: Centrist Asr-e Iran identified “four principal sources of the war against Iran”:
  • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin “Netanyahu and other Israeli Zionists … who pursue the policy of isolating and weakening Iran … through a war with the United States.”
  • “Evangelicals in the United States, who expect the resurrection of the Messiah once the Jews prevail over the Muslims.”
  • “United Arab Emirates, which has aligned itself with Israel in encouraging Trump to continue the war against Iran.”
  • “Iranian superrevolutionaries, who meet any kind of diplomacy and negotiation with capitulation and humiliation.”

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