The United States said it struck Iranian military sites over the weekend, and Iran's Revolutionary Guards reported targeting a U.S. base in retaliation on Monday, marking the latest exchange in a series of hostilities as negotiations to end the three-month-old war continue.
Details of the Strikes
According to the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), the strikes on Iran's Gulf coast were a response to "aggressive Iranian actions that included the shootdown of a U.S. MQ-1 drone that was operating over international waters." In a post on X, CENTCOM stated: "U.S. fighter aircraft swiftly responded by eliminating Iranian air defences, a ground control station, and two one-way attack drones that posed clear threats to ships transiting regional waters." CENTCOM added that it will continue to protect U.S. assets and interests during the ongoing ceasefire.
On Monday, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced it had targeted an air base used by the U.S. for an attack on southern Iran, though it did not specify which base. Meanwhile, air defences in Kuwait, home to a major U.S. base, were intercepting missile and drone attacks as sirens sounded across the country, the state news agency KUNA reported, without providing further details.
Ongoing Ceasefire and Negotiations
The U.S. and Iran have sporadically exchanged strikes since their ceasefire took effect in early April, as negotiations aimed at a more durable agreement drag on. A similar exchange occurred last Thursday and was described in similar terms by both sides.
The war, launched by the U.S. and Israel on February 28, has killed thousands of people, mainly in Iran and Lebanon, and caused global economic pain by pushing up energy prices due to Iran's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Political Pressures
U.S. President Donald Trump has stated that his key aim in the war is to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon with its highly enriched uranium. Tehran has consistently denied any plans to do so. Trump is under pressure to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and lower U.S. gasoline prices ahead of the November congressional elections, as voters show increasing frustration over rising prices. At the same time, he faces potential backlash from Iran hawks in his own party over any concessions to Tehran.
The two sides remain at odds on several other issues, such as Tehran's demands for the lifting of sanctions and the release of tens of billions of dollars of Iranian oil revenues frozen in foreign banks.
Regional Implications
Israel's war in Lebanon with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia is another major impediment. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he had ordered troops to move further into Lebanon in the battle against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with both Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Netanyahu on the diplomatic negotiations between Israel and Lebanon and has proposed a plan to allow for "gradual de-escalation," a U.S. official said.
