The security situation in West Asia has deteriorated sharply after the fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire effectively collapsed, with both sides launching fresh military strikes over the past several hours.
The United States said it carried out airstrikes against ten Iranian military targets near the Strait of Hormuz after accusing Tehran of attacking a commercial oil tanker with a drone.
U.S. Central Command said the operation targeted surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defence sites, drone storage facilities and minelaying capabilities. U.S. President Donald Trump warned that further violations could trigger a much broader military response.
Iran responded within hours with missile and drone attacks targeting American military facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed it had struck key U.S. installations, including Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait and facilities linked to the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain.
Kuwaiti authorities confirmed that air defence systems were engaging incoming threats, while Bahrain activated air raid sirens and advised residents to move to safe locations. Initial reports indicated no confirmed U.S. casualties, although the situation remains fluid.
Akashvani correspondent reports that the latest exchange marks the most serious collapse of the interim ceasefire agreed earlier this month between Washington and Tehran.
The US Central Command, or CENTCOM, says it carried out strikes on multiple targets inside Iran in response to continued attacks on commercial shipping.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says it retaliated by launching missiles and drones targeting US military infrastructure in Kuwait and Bahrain. Following the exchange, both Washington and Tehran accused each other of violating the ceasefire.
In a statement, CENTCOM said Iran had been given an opportunity to uphold the ceasefire but instead launched a one-way attack drone that struck the Panama-flagged oil tanker MT Kiku.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, said it had carried out strikes against targets linked to American forces, blaming the treaty-breaking US regime for the renewed escalation.
The escalation began Thursday when an Iranian attack on a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz triggered a sharp U.S. response, followed by what Tehran says was a defensive strike against American military positions in the region on Saturday.
Both sides are accusing each other of violating the interim agreement, with Washington and Tehran locked in a cycle of tit-for-tat military action that threatens diplomatic efforts by mediators
Meanwhile, tensions also remain high along the Israel-Lebanon border. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has defended the newly announced framework agreement with Lebanon, while maintaining that Israel reserves the right to act against Hezbollah if it considers its security threatened.
Hezbollah has rejected key provisions of the U.S.-brokered framework, and sporadic exchanges of fire have continued, raising fears that the wider regional crisis could spread further.