U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that Iran launched a missile attack on Kuwait and Bahrain, but the attacks failed to reach their targets.
The U.S. military said it carried out an airstrike on an Iranian facility after Iran's failed missile attempts against Kuwait and Bahrain.
CENTCOM reported that two of the missiles fired toward Kuwait disintegrated in mid-air before reaching their targets, while missiles directed at Bahrain were destroyed by U.S. and Bahraini forces.
In response to the attacks, CENTCOM announced that it struck an Iranian military ground control station on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz.
On the Iranian side, the Revolutionary Guards said they targeted the headquarters of the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet in Bahrain and another unnamed country as part of the attacks. The statement claimed the attack was retaliation for a U.S. missile strike that hit the engine room of an oil tanker trying to reach Iran despite blockade conditions.
According to reports in the press, the attacks came after allegations that Iran had cut communication with mediators regarding the extension of the ceasefire in the war with the U.S. and Israel. However, U.S. President Donald Trump denied this claim, saying talks were ongoing.
Statements from Iranian sources considered close to the Revolutionary Guards came at a time when tensions were rising again in separate but linked conflicts waged by Israel against Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Trump: Talks continue uninterrupted
Trump described the reports that negotiations had stopped as "unfounded and incorrect."
In a post on his social media account, Trump said, "The talks between us continue without interruption. We were in contact four days ago, three days ago, two days ago, yesterday, and today."
Stating that the outcome of the talks is uncertain, Trump reiterated his message to Iran, as he had said before, "It's time to make a deal."
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in his testimony to Congress in Washington, did not directly address the claims that communication had been cut. While giving optimistic messages about the nuclear dimension of the negotiations, Rubio emphasized that there is no guarantee that an "acceptable agreement" will be reached.
It is assessed that Iran is trying to increase pressure on the Trump administration as part of its efforts to negotiate a ceasefire in the war and to ease pressure on the Strait of Hormuz. The Strait of Hormuz stands out as a critical route through which a significant portion of global oil, natural gas, and other commodity shipments pass.
Meanwhile, there are assessments that Trump could pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stop or slow the advance of Israeli forces in Lebanon. It is noted that Israeli troops have recently advanced to the deepest points in Lebanon in more than 25 years.
While Iran argues that a potential ceasefire agreement should also end the conflicts in Lebanon, Israel and the U.S. state that the conflicts in Lebanon should be evaluated separately from the war and ceasefire talks with Iran.
However, reports of a telephone conversation between Trump and Netanyahu, which reportedly took place on Sunday, indicated differences of opinion between the two leaders. The reports alleged that Trump used harsh language toward the Israeli Prime Minister during the conversation.
It was also among the claims that Iran cut communication with the parties mediating the ceasefire talks due to the escalating conflicts in Lebanon and Israel's plans to extend its military operations to Beirut.
