Iran Targets US Base After Fresh American Strikes

Tensions between Iran and the United States escalated again Thursday after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed responsibility for targeting an American-linked air base in the Gulf region following fresh U.S. strikes on southern Iran.

The exchange marked the latest challenge to a fragile ceasefire that has struggled to hold amid ongoing negotiations aimed at ending the three-month conflict that began on Feb. 28.

Iran launches retaliation after US strikes

The IRGC said it launched missiles toward what it described as the source of recent American attacks. Although Iranian officials did not publicly identify the target, Kuwait confirmed that its air-defense systems intercepted hostile missiles and drones overnight.

The Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry condemned the incident as “criminal Iranian attacks” targeting its territory.

Meanwhile, U.S. Central Command accused Iran of committing an “egregious ceasefire violation” only hours after American forces intercepted Iranian drones near the Strait of Hormuz and carried out strikes against a military control site in Bandar Abbas.

According to CENTCOM, U.S. forces shot down five Iranian one-way attack drones that allegedly posed a threat to American assets operating in and around the strategic shipping corridor.

Strait of Hormuz remains center of crisis

The Strait of Hormuz remains at the center of the geopolitical confrontation. Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas typically passes through the narrow waterway.

Since the conflict erupted earlier this year, shipping traffic through the strait has been severely disrupted, pushing global energy prices sharply higher.

The U.S. Treasury Department this week imposed sanctions on Iran’s so-called Persian Gulf Strait Authority, accusing Tehran of attempting to extort global maritime trade through navigation fees and restrictions on commercial vessels.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also warned Oman against participating in any tolling arrangement linked to the reopening of the waterway.

Iranian state television had earlier reported that a draft proposal under discussion could involve joint management of the strait between Iran and Oman, though the White House dismissed those reports as fabricated.

Trump warns Iran amid stalled negotiations

Donald Trump said Wednesday that negotiations with Iran were continuing but stressed that Washington remained dissatisfied with Tehran’s position.

“Maybe we have to go back and finish it, maybe we don’t,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting.

The president also warned Gulf nations to support the Abraham Accords and normalize relations with Israel as part of broader regional stabilization efforts.

While Trump previously suggested that a peace agreement was close, both Washington and Tehran have since acknowledged that no final deal is imminent.

Iran has continued demanding sanctions relief, the release of frozen assets and a broader halt to Israeli military operations in Lebanon as part of any lasting agreement.

Ceasefire grows increasingly fragile

Iranian officials condemned the latest American strikes as violations of the ceasefire and warned that Tehran would continue defending its sovereignty.

At the same time, U.S. officials described their military actions as defensive and necessary to protect troops and maritime security in the Gulf.

The renewed exchanges highlight how quickly tensions could spiral back into a wider regional conflict despite ongoing diplomatic efforts.

With oil markets already under pressure and military activity intensifying around the Strait of Hormuz, global attention remains focused on whether Washington and Tehran can still salvage a negotiated settlement before the ceasefire fully collapses.