Tensions between the United States and Iran surged again on Saturday after the US carried out fresh strikes inside Iran, responding to a drone attack on a Panama‑flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. The exchange triggered a rapid escalation, with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launching missiles and drones at US‑linked infrastructure in Kuwait and Bahrain, prompting both sides to accuse each other of violating a recently agreed ceasefire.
US Central Command (Centcom) said the strikes targeted military equipment, communication systems, air‑defense sites and drone storage facilities in Iran. The action followed what the US described as “continued aggression” against commercial shipping, including the attack on the tanker MT Kiku.
“Iran was given a chance to honor the ceasefire agreement but elected not to,” Centcom said, adding that the drone strike on the tanker forced a direct response.
The IRGC issued its own statement through state media, accusing the US of attacking five coastal posts under “the pretext of the IRGC Navy confronting the offending ship.” In retaliation, the IRGC said it launched ballistic missiles and drones at eight key pieces of infrastructure at Kuwait’s Ali al‑Salem base and the US Fifth Fleet facilities in Port Salman, Bahrain, claiming they were “destroyed.”
A US official told Reuters there were no casualties and no major damage reported at American facilities in the region.
Iran warned that under the Memorandum of Understanding signed earlier this month, it now has expanded authority to control navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and that any vessel violating its rules will face harsher consequences. The IRGC vowed a “crushing response” to any future “enemy aggression,” even against minor targets.
The group also accused Washington of breaching the ceasefire terms, saying such violations “will lead to a complete halt to the process.”
Shortly after news of the latest US strikes broke, President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that it was “very possible” Tehran would “never le…” his post ending abruptly, leaving observers waiting for clarification.
As both sides trade accusations and retaliatory fire, the fragile ceasefire appears increasingly at risk, raising fears of a broader confrontation in one of the world’s most strategically sensitive waterways.
+ There are no comments
Add yours