Renewed Air Strikes Between US and Iran Near Strait of Hormuz
Air strikes resumed over the weekend between the United States and Iran, with both parties reporting attacks on military targets near the Strait of Hormuz.
The US Central Command (Centcom) announced it carried out "self-defense strikes on Iranian radar and command and control sites for drones in Goruk, Iran and Qeshm Island this weekend."
Concurrently, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed to have targeted a US air base in retaliation but did not specify its location.
US Response and Iranian Retaliation
US media earlier reported that President Donald Trump had requested "edits" to the latest terms of a proposal that might lead to a peace deal, though no breakthrough was evident.
The US stated that its strikes on Saturday and Sunday were in response to what it described as "aggressive Iranian actions that included the shootdown of a U.S. MQ-1 drone that was operating over international waters."
In a post on X, Centcom detailed that US fighter jets targeted Iranian military air defenses, a ground control station, and two drones which posed a clear threat to ships transiting regional waters. The military confirmed that no American servicemen or women were injured during the attacks.
The IRGC reported it struck the communications tower of the airbase used by US forces on Sirri Island in the Gulf, approximately 40 miles (65km) from Iran's southern coast.
Iran's military further warned that its response would be "completely different" if US aggression was "repeated," according to remarks reported by the semi-official Fars news agency.
Regional Military Activity and Ceasefire Status
Kuwait's military stated it was "confronting hostile missile and drone attacks" using its air-defense systems but did not disclose the locations of interceptions.
Last week, Tehran targeted an air base in Kuwait in response to earlier US air strikes, which Iran said were intended to prevent Iranian boats and missile strikes from laying mines around the shipping channel.
Although a ceasefire took effect on 8 April, President Donald Trump has repeatedly suggested that the US and Iran were close to a permanent deal and that negotiations were progressing; however, no formal agreement has yet been reached.
The latest version of the deal reportedly included a 60-day cessation of violence, a call to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and a framework to resume negotiations on Iran's nuclear program, according to CBS News, a US partner of the BBC.
Strategic Importance of the Gulf and Recent Developments
Approximately one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments typically pass through the Gulf shipping channel. The ongoing de facto trade embargo has contributed to upward pressure on fuel prices worldwide.
On Sunday, President Trump requested changes to the existing deal, which Iran dismissed as "speculation."
