The United States and Iran have exchanged fresh attacks across the Gulf region, adding further pressure to already fragile efforts to bring their months-long conflict to an end.
U.S. Central Command said American forces struck an Iranian military control facility on Qeshm Island, near the Strait of Hormuz, after Tehran allegedly launched missiles and drones towards ships and countries in the region. The strategically important waterway has become a major focus of the conflict as both sides seek greater leverage in stalled ceasefire negotiations.
According to Centcom, Iran fired two missiles towards Kuwait and three towards Bahrain, where U.S. military facilities are located. The missiles were either intercepted or failed before reaching their intended targets. American forces also destroyed three drones that were allegedly heading towards commercial vessels sailing through regional waters.
Iran said its attacks were carried out in response to U.S. military action and claimed that missiles and drones had been used against American bases and helicopters in an unnamed country. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that “disrupting the security of the Strait of Hormuz will carry a heavy price for the aggressive U.S. military.”
The latest confrontation came after a separate incident involving the Botswana-flagged M/T Lexie, an empty oil tanker travelling towards Iran. Centcom said an American aircraft fired a Hellfire missile into the vessel’s engine room after its crew failed to follow repeated instructions.
The tanker was targeted under Washington’s naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which began on 13 April. U.S. officials said six commercial ships have been disabled and another 122 redirected since the restrictions were introduced.
The renewed fighting has further complicated diplomatic efforts. Iran has accused Washington of changing its position and introducing contradictory demands, while U.S. officials have maintained that any sanctions relief must be linked to Tehran’s nuclear programme.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended that position during a tense appearance before Congress, saying concessions would depend on Iran addressing the reasons the sanctions were imposed.
President Donald Trump has continued to express confidence that an agreement can still be reached, saying Iran “really wants to make a deal, and it will be a good one for the USA.”
Despite those remarks, the latest attacks suggest that both sides remain far from securing a lasting ceasefire.