On June 5, the US forces intercepted several Iranian ballistic missiles and drones that Iran launched towards the Strait of Hormuz and neighboring Persian Gulf countries.
This was reported by the US Central Command.
According to them, the US military first shot down four Iranian strike drones over the Strait of Hormuz, which posed an “imminent threat to maritime navigation in the region”. Within hours, Iran had launched seven ballistic missiles toward Kuwait and Bahrain — six were reportedly intercepted, and one missile failed to reach its target.
The US Central Command says that there are no casualties among the American military, and that Iranʼs claims about damage to the US 5th Fleet headquarters in Bahrain are false.
At the same time, Iranʼs Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said that in response to the US strikes, it fired missiles at American bases in Bahrain and Kuwait and four tankers that tried to cross the Strait of Hormuz without Iranʼs permission.
The US forces responded by striking Iranian coastal radar stations in Goruk and Qeshm Island "to prevent further naval attacks".
The United States and Iran have been exchanging blows periodically in recent weeks, but neither side has claimed to have violated the ceasefire, which remains in effect. In particular, on June 3, Iranian drones struck an airport in Kuwait, killing one person and suspending commercial flights. Iran said it struck a US base in Kuwait.
Oil prices rose again as the conflict in the Middle East escalated during talks between Tehran and Washington.
War in the Middle East and negotiations between Iran and the US
On the morning of February 28, the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran. These attacks killed Iranʼs Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and almost the entire military leadership of the country — about 40 key high-ranking officials.
Iran, in response to the US and Israeli attacks, began shelling Arab countries where US bases are located, and Israel. The war also halted tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow sea corridor between Iran and Oman that connects the Persian Gulf with the Indian Ocean. It was through it that almost a fifth of the worldʼs oil exports passed — tens of millions of barrels per day.
On April 8, the parties agreed to a two-week ceasefire. On April 13, the United States began a naval blockade of Iranian ports, demanding the complete unblocking of the Strait of Hormuz for all ships.
On April 17, Lebanon and Israel agreed to a ceasefire, after which Iran unblocked the Strait of Hormuz. However, on April 18, Iran reported that it was again blocking the Strait of Hormuz due to the US naval blockade. On the same day, Iran fired on several ships attempting to pass through the strait.
On April 21, Trump tweeted that he had extended the ceasefire with Iran until the Iranians submitted their proposals and concluded discussions. Despite this, on May 8, Iran accused the United States of violating the ceasefire by attacking two ships in the Strait of Hormuz and striking civilian areas.
Tehran later submitted new proposals to Washington to end the war, but they included points that Trump had previously rejected. This was followed by reports that the US and Israel were preparing to resume strikes on Iran, but Trump said he was putting the idea on hold. Iran responded by threatening to expand the war beyond the Middle East if the US resumed attacks.
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