The United States military has carried out fresh strikes on Iran, targeting a military site in Bandar Abbas, a strategic Iranian port city, further threatening a fragile ceasefire between both countries amid ongoing negotiations to end months of conflict.
In response, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had targeted a US air base, although it did not disclose the location of the installation.
Kuwait, which hosts a US military base, later announced that its air defences were intercepting what it described as “hostile missile and drone threats”, but did not specify where the attacks originated.
The latest escalation marks the second time in three days that the United States has struck targets inside Iran, with Washington insisting the operations were conducted in self-defence.
According to US Central Command (Centcom), the site in Bandar Abbas was attacked as it was preparing to launch a fifth drone.
Iranian state media reported that explosions were heard east of the city shortly after the strikes.
Centcom defended the operation, describing the strikes as “measured, purely defensive, and intended to maintain the ceasefire”.
The command also said US forces had intercepted four Iranian one-way attack drones “that posed a threat around the Strait of Hormuz”.
Iran condemned the attacks, describing them as “a grave violation of the ceasefire” and warning that the Iranian government “will not leave any act of hostility unanswered”.
Earlier this week, the United States confirmed carrying out another round of what it called “self-defence” strikes on southern Iran on Monday. Those attacks reportedly targeted Iranian missile sites and boats attempting to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz, where thousands of commercial tanker ships remain stranded because of the conflict.
Centcom said the earlier strikes were intended “to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces”.
The United States also imposed sanctions on the “Persian Gulf Strait Authority”, the Iranian agency responsible for collecting fees from vessels travelling through the Strait of Hormuz.
In a statement, the US Treasury Department warned that any ships paying the authority could be “exposed to the risk of sanctions”.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes, with roughly one-fifth of global liquefied natural gas and oil supplies normally passing through the waterway. The disruption has continued to affect global fuel markets and drive up energy prices.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei defended Tehran’s actions, saying the country was merely collecting fees for “navigational services” and would continue to manage maritime traffic through the strait.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent accused Tehran of attempting to pressure international trade, describing the move as the “Iranian military’s latest attempt to extort global maritime trade” and “proof” that Iran is “desperate for cash”.
Meanwhile, the IRGC claimed on Tuesday that it had shot down a US drone and opened fire on a fighter jet and another drone that allegedly entered Iranian airspace, although it did not provide details on when the incident occurred.
The renewed hostilities come as negotiations continue over ending the three-month war that has severely disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and rattled international energy markets.
Speaking during a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump said Iran was “negotiating on fumes” and insisted that his administration’s military strategy would not be influenced by the upcoming US midterm elections in November.
“Maybe we have to go back and finish it, maybe we don’t,” Trump said.
The US president also renewed calls for Gulf nations to join the Abraham Accords aimed at normalising relations with Israel.
Israel launched the war against Iran alongside the United States on 28 February and is simultaneously engaged in conflict with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement in Lebanon.
Trump has repeatedly warned that Washington could resume a large-scale bombing campaign if Tehran refuses to accept US conditions for a settlement.
Although the president struck an optimistic tone over the weekend, saying a peace deal with Iran had been “largely negotiated”, his remarks on Wednesday suggested growing frustration within the White House.
“We’re not satisfied,” Trump said during the cabinet meeting.
He added that Tehran remained “very much intent” on securing an agreement but warned that negotiations had not yet reached an acceptable conclusion.
“They just want to make a deal – I don’t think they have a choice,” Trump told reporters.
“Iran is very much intent, they want very much to make a deal.
“So far, they haven’t gotten there and we’re not satisfied with it, but we will be. Either that or we’ll have to just finish the job.”
Trump’s comments came shortly after Iranian state television published what it claimed were details of a draft agreement between Tehran and Washington. The reported document allegedly included provisions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and the withdrawal of US troops from the region.
The White House swiftly dismissed the report, branding the document a “complete fabrication”.
Both Washington and Tehran had signalled late last week that progress had been made towards a potential agreement, raising speculation that a breakthrough announcement was imminent.
However, Iranian officials later cautioned that a deal was “not imminent”, while Trump said he had instructed US negotiators “not to rush into” an agreement.
Boluwatife Enome
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