Iran fires missiles at Kuwait and Bahrain after US strikes on coastal radar sites, as ceasefire frays
Iranian forces launched ballistic missiles at Kuwait and Bahrain overnight, retaliating for American strikes on Iranian coastal radar installations. The exchanges mark the heaviest breach of the 8 April ceasefire.
US strikes on Iranian radar sites
American forces struck Iranian coastal surveillance radar sites in Goruk and on Qeshm Island on Saturday 6 June. The US military released footage of the strikes. Tehran called the action a flagrant violation of the ceasefire in place since 8 April. The US Central Command (Centcom) said it had also shot down four Iranian attack drones launched toward the Strait of Hormuz, describing them as an immediate threat to regional maritime traffic.
Iranian retaliation against Gulf states
In response, Iran's Revolutionary Guards fired ballistic missiles at the Ali Al-Salem air base in Kuwait, where American aircraft are stationed, and at the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain. Centcom reported that six missiles were intercepted and a seventh failed to reach its target. Kuwait and Bahrain, already targeted earlier in the week, condemned what they called flagrant aggressions and a dangerous escalation.
We were woken up by deafening explosions. The blasts were extremely loud. My children were terrified, and I couldn't calm them down.
Drone threat over the Strait of Hormuz
On Sunday, Centcom announced it had shot down two more Iranian one-way attack drones that threatened international shipping in the strategic Strait of Hormuz. The command said US forces remain vigilant and ready to continue defending against Iranian aggression. The repeated drone launches have raised alarms over the safety of one of the world's most critical oil transit chokepoints.
- US strikes Iranian coastal radar sites in Goruk and on Qeshm Island; Centcom shoots down four Iranian drones near the Strait of Hormuz.
- Iran's Revolutionary Guards fire ballistic missiles at Ali Al-Salem air base in Kuwait and the US Fifth Fleet HQ in Bahrain.
- Centcom shoots down two more Iranian attack drones threatening shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Stalled nuclear and regional talks
Indirect talks between Washington and Tehran show no sign of progress. Mohsen Rezaï, military adviser to Iran's supreme leader, told CNN the negotiations are at an impasse. He called on Donald Trump to unlock $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets held abroad due to US sanctions, framing the funds as a trust test. A source close to the matter said the US Treasury is examining whether those assets could instead be used to compensate Gulf countries for damage from Iranian strikes.
If he wants to reach an agreement with Iran, these 24 billion dollars are a test of confidence. It's our money, not that of the United States.
Lebanon front complicates diplomacy
A major sticking point remains Lebanon. Tehran demands that any deal with Washington include an end to hostilities on Lebanese soil between Israel and the pro-Iranian Hezbollah. The United States wants to handle the two files separately. Israeli forces have struck around 150 Hezbollah positions in 48 hours, including a raid on Saksakiyeh in the Sidon district that killed two people and wounded 22, including three children and one woman, according to the Lebanese health ministry. Hezbollah rejected a new ceasefire framework negotiated between Lebanon and Israel this week. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun urged the group to accept negotiations.
Hezbollah must understand that there is no other path than to sit down and talk. No other way to resolve this problem and save what remains except through negotiation and diplomacy.
