The United States and Iran exchanged new military strikes, increasing pressure on the path to de-escalation and revealing the fragility of the ceasefire, as indirect communications between the two sides continue to reach an agreement ending the three-month-long war. The US military announced it carried out "defensive" strikes inside Iran on Saturday and Sunday, while the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it retaliated by targeting an airbase used in the US attacks. The escalation comes as negotiations continue through regional mediators, amid differences over the nuclear file, sanctions, and the Strait of Hormuz.
The renewed strikes pushed oil prices up by more than 3 percent, with growing concerns over the safety of navigation and global energy supplies. This coincided with a new Israeli escalation in Lebanon, prompting Iranian officials to link any final agreement to a ceasefire on all fronts, including the Lebanese front.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that US forces intercepted two Iranian ballistic missiles targeting US troops stationed in Kuwait late Monday, confirming they were shot down without casualties. CENTCOM said its forces will remain vigilant and continue to protect US troops from what it called "Iranian aggression," while supporting the existing ceasefire. This followed CENTCOM's announcement of self-defense strikes on Saturday and Sunday against radar and drone command-and-control sites in Gork and Qeshm Island, in response to "aggressive Iranian moves" that included shooting down a US MQ-1 drone over international waters.
In response, the IRGC said the US targeted a communications tower on Sirik Island in Hormozgan province on the Persian Gulf. In a statement, it said the IRGC's missile unit retaliated by targeting the airbase from which the US operation was launched, asserting the destruction of "pre-designated targets." The IRGC warned that any repeat of US attacks would be met with a "completely different" response, holding Washington responsible for any further escalation. In a separate statement, the IRGC Navy said 15 ships, including four oil tankers, transited the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours after obtaining prior permission and coordinating with its forces. It also warned commercial vessels and oil tankers in the Persian Gulf and around the Strait of Hormuz that any cooperation with forces it described as "hostile from outside the region" would be considered an imminent security threat and would be dealt with accordingly.
Despite the exchange of strikes, US President Donald Trump continued to express optimism about reaching an agreement, saying a potential deal would be good for the US and its allies. Trump criticized pressure from Democrats and some Republicans who, he said, urge him to speed up, slow down, go to war, or avoid it, calling on his critics to "sit back and relax," asserting things "will end well." In contrast, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei accused Washington of prolonging negotiations by constantly changing its positions and proposing new or contradictory demands. He said the exchange of messages between the two sides continues, but in an atmosphere of "mistrust and extreme suspicion," holding the US responsible for violating the ceasefire through attacks targeting southern Iran, arguing that this reinforces doubts and gives his country the right to take corresponding defensive measures.
The New York Times revealed that US naval operations continue to guide commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz, with US forces helping coordinate the transit of about 70 commercial vessels through the strait over the past three weeks. Officials said most ships disabled their transponders during transit to avoid detection. One official noted that some routes were not close to the Iranian coast, while US officials said ships passing near Iran without Iranian approval risk attacks by drones or missiles. Officials added that US-coordinated transits remain limited compared to the pre-war period, when more than 100 ships crossed the strait daily. Nevertheless, they said the continued transit of ships under US guidance indicates that some ship owners are willing to take risks to enter and exit the Persian Gulf after weeks of disrupted commercial traffic.
