Iran and the United States continued their military strikes in the Gulf region on Sunday, each accusing the other of violating a fragile interim agreement signed less than two weeks ago to end their four-month-old conflict. The escalation came shortly after President Donald Trump warned that the US might 'militarily complete the job,' prompting Iran to launch missiles and drones at American military installations in Kuwait and Bahrain.
Renewed Hostilities After Brief Ceasefire
The 14-point interim deal was intended to halt hostilities that began on February 28, when the US and Israel initiated military action against Iran. The agreement also aimed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical energy shipping route that Iran had largely blocked during the conflict. However, violence resumed as both sides traded accusations of ceasefire breaches.
One round of mediated talks, led by US Vice President JD Vance and Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, was held in Switzerland a week ago. Washington subsequently waived sanctions on Tehran, but fighting and recriminations have since intensified.
Trump's Warning and Iranian Response
Trump posted on social media: 'There may come a point when we are no longer able to be reasonable and will be forced to militarily complete the job that we very successfully started. If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist!' About an hour later, the Kuwaiti army reported its air defenses were responding to 'hostile' missile and drone attacks, while sirens sounded in Bahrain, according to that country's interior ministry.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility, stating that its navy and air forces had targeted US military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain in retaliation for recent US strikes against Iran. The IRGC warned that the US violations 'will result in the complete halt of all diplomatic processes,' as reported by state-run Press TV. The IRGC Navy command added that American bases in the region 'will experience hell in the coming days.'
US Casualties and Damage Assessment
A US official, confirming the attacks on American facilities, told Reuters there were no reported US casualties or major damage to US sites in the Middle East, but noted the situation was still unfolding. Hours later, alarms sounded a second time in Bahrain. The Bahraini foreign ministry condemned the attacks as a deliberate and repeated violation of the kingdom's sovereignty and security, urging the UN Security Council to hold an urgent session to hold Iran accountable.
Strait of Hormuz Tensions
US Central Command earlier announced fresh strikes after a Panama-flagged tanker was attacked by an Iranian drone on Saturday. 'Iran was given a chance to honor the ceasefire agreement but elected not to,' Central Command said, adding that its strikes targeted Iranian military surveillance, communications, air defense, drone storage, and mine-laying facilities in direct response to continued Iranian aggression against commercial shipping.
Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reported explosions in Sirik in southern Iran, though details were not provided. The IRGC stated, 'America's blind shots at Sirik will not resolve our dominance over the Strait of Hormuz, but our shots at violators will remind the rest of the vessels of the clear passage route.'
Saturday's tanker attack followed one on a cargo ship on Thursday that triggered the latest escalation. Iran seeks to assert control over the strait, which carries one-fifth of global oil and LNG supplies and had just begun to reopen after months of disruption. Hundreds of ships, including oil tankers, have been blockaded inside the Gulf since the war began. As vessels started leaving through the strait over the past two weeks, oil prices tumbled close to pre-war levels due to the surge in supply.
Washington has been promoting a southern shipping lane along the coast of Oman, while Tehran aims to charge fees for use of the strait and wants ships to use a northern route through its waters under its control.
Lebanon Front and Hezbollah
In Lebanon, Israel said on Sunday it had killed Hezbollah militants armed with rocket-propelled grenades and struck a rocket launcher in the Nabatieh area. Iran accuses the US of violating its commitment under the peace deal to sustain a ceasefire in Lebanon, which US ally Israel invaded in March in pursuit of Hezbollah. Israel, not a party to the US-Iran deal, and Lebanon have repeatedly agreed to US-brokered ceasefires, the latest on Friday. However, these have had limited effect, with Israel insisting it will not withdraw from Lebanese territory it has seized and Hezbollah rejecting calls to disarm as long as Israeli troops remain.
