- Iran attacked Bahrain and Kuwait, warning US of negotiation halts.
- Strait of Hormuz dispute deepened; Iran asserted shipping control.
- US struck Iranian sites, Trump threatened further military action.
Iran launched another round of missile and drone attacks targeting Bahrain and Kuwait on Sunday in response to fresh US airstrikes, warning that negotiations to end the conflict would come to a “complete halt” if Washington continued its military campaign.
The latest exchange marks a further escalation in hostilities despite an interim agreement aimed at reducing tensions between the two countries.
Strait Of Hormuz Dispute Deepens
The renewed fighting comes amid growing tensions over the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s busiest energy shipping lanes.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reiterated that Tehran must retain authority over the strategic waterway, Associated Press reported.
“Any attempt to establish new or separate arrangements from those currently being carried out by the Islamic Republic of Iran will only lead to further complications, delay the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and increase the level of tension,” Araghchi said.
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The remarks came after a multinational maritime security body overseen by the US Navy announced it would expand a shipping route near Oman to facilitate commercial traffic through the strait. It also said commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz had continued despite the heightened security environment.
The body added that 89 US-assisted commercial transits had taken place over the past 72 hours, below the historical average of 138 vessels per day, AP reported.
The Strait of Hormuz, through which nearly one-fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas supplies have historically passed, is widely regarded as an international waterway despite lying within the territorial waters of Iran and Oman.
Iran Targets US-Linked Sites
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for attacks on sites linked to US forces in Bahrain and Kuwait.
Kuwait said its air defence systems intercepted Iranian drones and two missiles shortly after US strikes on Iranian targets. No casualties or damage were reported.
In Bahrain, authorities said an Iranian strike damaged a residential building near the international airport. No deaths were reported. Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry described the attack as “a dangerous escalation” and accused Tehran of pursuing a “systematic pattern of repeated aggression,” the report said.
Qatar later said one civilian had been killed and another injured by shrapnel related to ongoing military operations after a vessel failed to return on schedule. Officials did not provide further details.
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Trump Accuses Iran Of Violating Ceasefire
The US military said it struck Iranian military surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defence sites, drone storage facilities and minelaying capabilities after a Panama-flagged tanker carrying crude oil for Qatar was attacked on Saturday.
US President Donald Trump accused Iran of violating the interim agreement and warned of further military action.
“If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist!” Trump wrote on social media.
The latest escalation follows Thursday’s Iranian drone strike on a merchant vessel near Oman, which triggered the current cycle of retaliatory attacks.
Lebanon Situation Remains Unresolved
The developments also come as uncertainty continues over a recently announced framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon aimed at ending fighting involving the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group.
Iran has criticised the agreement, while Foreign Minister Araghchi reiterated on Sunday that Israel must halt its military operations and withdraw from southern Lebanon before broader regional issues can be resolved.
