The United States launched strikes on Iranian coastal surveillance and radar installations on Saturday after intercepting drones reportedly sent by Iran toward the strategic Strait of Hormuz. This marks a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict between the two nations.
The US military identified four Iranian drones believed to be targeting maritime traffic in this crucial waterway. Following the interceptions, the US Central Command confirmed that American forces struck Iranian surveillance sites in Goruk and on Qeshm Island, both situated along the Strait of Hormuz.
In response, Iran condemned the US attacks, accusing Washington of breaching the ceasefire agreement established on April 8. Tehran stated these repeated military actions reveal the US has no intention of reducing tensions and warned it would hold the US accountable for the consequences of what it described as “illegal actions.”
Meanwhile, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced retaliatory strikes against US military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, also targeting four tankers attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz without authorization.
Kuwait’s military reported intercepting seven ballistic missiles that passed over residential areas, causing property damage but no casualties. Bahrain activated emergency sirens and advised residents to seek shelter amid the attacks.
The US military later confirmed that six missiles were intercepted successfully, and a seventh missile failed to reach its target.
This latest confrontation occurs as Washington and Tehran continue indirect negotiations aimed at securing an interim agreement to halt the three-month-long conflict. However, ongoing military clashes have repeatedly undermined these diplomatic efforts.
Iran is demanding access to billions of dollars in oil revenues, relief from sanctions on crude exports, removal of port restrictions, and greater control over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy route through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passed before the conflict began.
Meanwhile, Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi arrived in Tehran on Saturday to hold talks with senior Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi. Pakistan, attempting to mediate an end to the conflict, continues diplomatic efforts to ease tensions. A Pakistani source noted that Naqvi carried a message for Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei.
US President Donald Trump, under growing domestic pressure over rising fuel prices, stated that most of Iran’s drone and missile production facilities had been destroyed but acknowledged that Tehran still maintains a significant missile capability.
The conflict, which began following US and Israeli military operations against Iran on February 28, has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, driven up global oil prices, and impacted international supply chains.
In a related development, military clashes intensified in Lebanon, where the Lebanese army reported that two officers and a soldier were killed in an Israeli strike on a military vehicle in the country’s south. Israel announced it is investigating the incident.
Notably, Iran has linked any broader peace agreement with Washington to a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, adding further complexity to regional diplomatic negotiations.
