Fresh US military strikes on Iran have raised fears that the fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran could be slipping apart, just as negotiations to end months of conflict appeared to be gaining momentum.
The United States confirmed it carried out attacks on a military site in Bandar Abbas, a key Iranian port city near the Strait of Hormuz. US Central Command said the strike targeted facilities linked to drone operations and described the action as “measured” and “purely defensive”.
According to Centcom, American forces also shot down four Iranian drones it said posed a threat near the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil shipping routes.
Iran reacted swiftly, condemning the attacks as a “grave violation” of the ceasefire agreement reached earlier this year. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had targeted a US air base in response, though it did not reveal the location. Kuwait later announced that its air defences had intercepted what it described as hostile missile and drone threats.
The latest exchange marks the second round of US strikes on Iran within three days. Earlier this week, Washington said it attacked Iranian missile sites and vessels allegedly preparing to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
Tehran dismissed those claims and accused the US of escalating tensions while peace negotiations were still underway.
The conflict has already had a major impact on global energy markets. Oil prices surged again after news of the latest strikes, with Brent crude climbing close to $98 a barrel and US crude rising above $92.
Traders remain concerned about disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping lane through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes.
The waterway has been effectively restricted since the war between Iran, Israel and the United States erupted in February, causing major delays to commercial shipping and pushing energy prices sharply higher worldwide.
At the White House, President Donald Trump said negotiations with Iran were continuing but warned that Washington was not yet satisfied with the terms being discussed.
“They want very much to make a deal,” Trump told reporters during a Cabinet meeting. “So far they haven’t gotten there. We’re not satisfied with it, but we will be. Either that or we’ll have to finish the job.”
Trump also rejected reports circulating in Iranian state media claiming a draft agreement would involve the US lifting restrictions on Iranian ports and withdrawing forces from the region in exchange for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
The White House dismissed the reported memorandum as “a complete fabrication”, insisting no final agreement had been reached.
Despite public optimism from both sides in recent days, officials in Tehran and Washington continue to disagree over key issues, including sanctions, military activity in the Gulf and Iran’s nuclear programme.
The renewed violence has increased concerns that the ceasefire may collapse entirely if negotiations fail to produce a breakthrough in the coming days.
