The US military launched “self-defence” strikes on Iran, targeting a military ground control station on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, in response to attempted attacks by Iran across the Middle East.
The strikes came after Iran fired ballistic missiles and drones at ships and Gulf countries, including Kuwait and Bahrain, with two missiles breaking apart or being intercepted over Kuwait and three being intercepted over Bahrain.
Iran Conflict Escalation
The latest attacks occur amid stalled ceasefire negotiations, with talks on a deal to end the months-long war failing to advance over the weekend, and the US military shooting down three attack drones launched by Iran toward civilian mariners.
Iran’s IRGC warned that disrupting the security of the Strait of Hormuz would “carry a heavy price” for the US military, as the US also struck and disabled an unladen oil tanker sailing towards Iran as part of its naval blockade.
The US has disabled six commercial vessels and redirected 122 since the blockade began, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio testifying that US negotiators had not offered Iran sanctions relief in exchange for re-opening the strait.
Implications and Reactions
The escalation comes as US President Donald Trump expressed optimism about a potential deal, saying Iran “really wants to make a deal, and it will be a good one for the USA”, despite reports that Trump had requested edits to the terms of a potential peace deal.
The situation remains tense, with lawmakers questioning the US strategy for ending the conflict, and the US maintaining that any sanctions relief would be condition-based, tied to Iran’s nuclear program.
