The United States said it carried out strikes on Iranian military targets over the weekend, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they responded by targeting a US air base, marking the latest exchange between the two countries despite ongoing negotiations to end their three-month war.
According to the US military, the strikes on Iran’s Gulf coast were launched in response to what it described as hostile Iranian actions, including the downing of a US MQ-1 drone.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a post on X that the strikes were carried out after “aggressive Iranian actions that included the shootdown of a U.S. MQ-1 drone that was operating over international waters.”
“U.S. fighter aircraft swiftly responded by eliminating Iranian air defences, a ground control station, and two one-way attack drones that posed clear threats to ships transiting regional waters,” CENTCOM said.
The command added that it would continue to protect American interests in the region during the ceasefire.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Monday that it had targeted an air base used by the United States in attacks on southern Iran, although it did not identify the location.
In Kuwait, air defence systems intercepted missile and drone attacks on Monday as warning sirens sounded across the country, according to state news agency KUNA. The report did not provide further details.
The latest exchange follows a pattern of intermittent strikes between Washington and Tehran since a ceasefire took effect in early April. A similar incident occurred last Thursday, with both sides offering comparable accounts of the confrontation.
The conflict, launched by the United States and Israel on February 28, has killed thousands of people, mainly in Iran and Lebanon, while disrupting global energy markets. Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has pushed up oil and fuel prices worldwide.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly said his objective is to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon using its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. Iran has consistently denied seeking nuclear weapons capability.
Trump is also facing growing domestic pressure to secure the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and reduce fuel prices ahead of November’s congressional elections. At the same time, he faces criticism from hardliners within his own party who oppose concessions to Tehran.
Negotiators remain divided over key issues, including Iran’s demand for sanctions relief and access to billions of dollars in oil revenues frozen abroad.
Regional tensions have also been heightened by Israel’s military operations in Lebanon against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that he had ordered troops to advance further into Lebanon as fighting with Hezbollah continues.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held separate discussions with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Netanyahu on diplomatic efforts involving Israel and Lebanon.
A US official said Rubio had proposed a plan aimed at allowing for “gradual de-escalation” between the parties.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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