US, Iran trade blows as Gulf tensions escalate despite ceasefire

The United States and Iran have traded strikes on targets in the Middle East, underscoring growing tensions that threaten a temporary agreement between the two countries to end the war.

The US carried out new strikes on Iranian military infrastructure near the Strait of Hormuz early on Sunday local time, saying it was in response to Iranian attacks on commercial shipping.

Iran then launched missile and drone strikes on US allies Kuwait and Bahrain, prompting the US to launch a second round of air strikes, which the Iranians also responded to.

Both sides are now accusing each other of violating the peace agreement both sides signed earlier this month, which promised an “irrevocable cessation of military operations on all fronts.”

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its first strikes hit Iranian military infrastructure “surveillance, communications systems, air defense facilities, drone storage facilities and minelayer capabilities” following an Iranian attack on a ship at sea early Saturday.

The vessel, the Panamanian-flagged tanker Kiku, was carrying crude oil for Qatar’s state energy company, a key participant in negotiations between Iran and the United States.

“Transit of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz continues. “U.S. forces remain vigilant, lethal and ready,” CENTCOM said in a statement.

The Iranian military said in a statement that the U.S. strikes violated the ceasefire and “will lead to a complete halt to all diplomatic processes,” state-run Press TV reported. The Navy command said that American bases in the region “will experience hell in the coming days.”

In response to Iranian missile and drone attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain, both governments warned their citizens to seek refuge.

Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that “several Iranian drones” struck the country, calling the attack “a flagrant threat to the safety of citizens and residents.”

The Kuwaiti army said it intercepted two ballistic missiles without any damage or casualties.

Both Kuwait and Bahrain are home to US military bases, although it was not immediately clear what was struck or where the wave of missiles and drones landed.

An unnamed US official told Reuters there were no reported US casualties or damage to US infrastructure in the region from the first attack, but added that the situation was still evolving.

Donald Trump has warned that Iran “will no longer exist” if the US decides to escalate. (Reuters: Evan Vucci)

Posting on social media on Sunday morning as the two sides exchanged fire, US President Donald Trump said it was “very likely they (Iran) will never learn.”

He warned that there could come a point when the US “can no longer be reasonable” and will be forced to “militarily finish the job” it had “very successfully begun.”

Trump added: “If this happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist!”

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said the U.S. move to strike five Iranian coastal posts was a violation of the ceasefire, warning that the attack would “lead to a complete halt in all diplomatic processes,” according to a statement cited by state media.

Iran says it hit targets linked to US, while Bahrain reports drone attack

Iran says it struck targets associated with US forces in retaliation for US airstrikes on its southern coast, as each side continues to accuse the other of violating last week’s deal to end the four-month war.

The latest strikes come less than a day after similar skirmishes between the two warring powers, despite a peace deal reached earlier this month and a previously agreed ceasefire that had technically been in place since April.

Similar to how today’s spat played out, Iran on Saturday said it carried out strikes on targets associated with US forces in retaliation for earlier US air strikes on its southern coast, accusing Washington of violating a deal reached last week aimed at ending the four-month war.

The US rejected the claim, saying its military action was in response to Iranian attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s attacks on commercial shipping continue in and around the strategic waterway, through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies typically pass.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said the responsibility for restoring maritime traffic in the strait to pre-war levels rests solely with Tehran and urged others not to interfere “in Iran’s management of the strait.”

Washington is pushing for a southern route along the Omani coast, while Tehran, which ultimately seeks to charge fees for use of the strait, wants ships to use the northern route through its waters and under its control.

Ceasefire depends on Lebanon

Iran accuses the United States of violating its obligations under the peace agreement to maintain a ceasefire in Lebanon.

An end to fighting in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah is a key part of the agreement.

Israel, a US ally, invaded Lebanon in March, citing persecution of Hezbollah. The latest attacks killed Hezbollah fighters in the Nabatiyeh area, the statement said.

Israel, which is not a party to the US-Iran deal, and Lebanon have repeatedly agreed to US-brokered ceasefires.

But they had only limited effect: Israel insisted it would not withdraw from the Lebanese territory it captured, and Hezbollah repeatedly rejected calls to surrender its weapons while Israeli troops remained in place.

ABC/Wires