US and Iran trade strikes across the Persian Gulf as ceasefire talks stall and oil prices surge past $90
American warplanes struck Iranian radar and drone control sites over the weekend, and Tehran retaliated by launching ballistic missiles at U.S. troops in Kuwait, deepening the three-month-old conflict and pushing crude oil above $90 a barrel.
Weekend strikes and retaliation
The U.S. military confirmed it carried out "self-defense strikes" on Saturday and Sunday against Iranian radar installations and drone command-and-control sites near the southern coastal city of Goruk and on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. The operation was a direct response to Iran's downing of an American MQ-1 Predator drone over international waters. U.S. fighter aircraft eliminated Iranian air defenses, a ground control station, and two one-way attack drones that CENTCOM said "posed clear threats to ships transiting regional waters."
U.S. fighter aircraft swiftly responded by eliminating Iranian air defences, a ground control station, and two one-way attack drones that posed clear threats to ships transiting regional waters.
Hours later, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced it had targeted an air base used by U.S. forces for operations against southern Iran. Kuwait's state news agency reported that air defenses were intercepting missile and drone attacks as sirens sounded across the country. CENTCOM later stated that two Iranian ballistic missiles aimed at American troops in Kuwait were successfully intercepted and destroyed at approximately 11:00 p.m. Eastern Time, and that no U.S. personnel were injured.
Diplomatic impasse
The latest exchange of fire is the third escalation in a single week and comes as peace negotiations between Washington and Tehran have stalled. President Donald Trump had claimed late last month that a deal had "largely been negotiated," but a Friday Situation Room meeting ended without an announcement. U.S. media, including CBS News, reported that Trump requested last-minute changes to the terms, specifically concerning navigation rights in the Strait of Hormuz and the removal of Iran's highly enriched uranium.
Iran really wants to make a deal, and it will be a good deal for the U.S.
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman accused the United States of "constantly changing its positions and presenting new or contradictory demands," warning that this would "naturally prolong the negotiations." Iran's top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, separately argued that the ongoing U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports and Israel's intensifying operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon constitute "clear evidence of U.S. noncompliance with the ceasefire."
Lebanon complicates the picture
Israel has extended its occupation deeper into Lebanon, and Hezbollah continues to launch drones toward Israeli territory. Trump posted on social media that Israel and Hezbollah had agreed to de-escalate following his talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and communications with Hezbollah via mediators. Moments later, however, Israel reported detecting missile launches from Lebanon and warned residents in parts of northern Israel to seek shelter.
Iran has insisted that any comprehensive agreement must include a ceasefire in Lebanon. A former Pakistani ambassador to the U.S. noted that Israel's actions in Lebanon are complicating the mediation efforts being led by Pakistan between Washington and Tehran.
Economic fallout and the Strait of Hormuz
Iran's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz — through which roughly 20 percent of the global oil and gas supply normally transits — continues to disrupt world energy markets. Crude oil prices rose more than 3 percent on Monday to surpass $90 per barrel, while the average U.S. gasoline price remains around $4.33 per gallon according to AAA. The British military also reported that a cargo vessel was attacked off the coast of Iraq on Monday afternoon.
- Iran shoots down a U.S. MQ-1 Predator drone over international waters.
- U.S. fighter aircraft strike Iranian radar sites, a ground control station, and two attack drones near Goruk and Qeshm Island.
- U.S. forces intercept two Iranian ballistic missiles aimed at American troops in Kuwait.
- Kuwait reports hostile drone and missile fire; Iran's Revolutionary Guard claims responsibility for targeting a U.S. air base.
- Trump claims Israel and Hezbollah agree to de-escalate; Israel later detects missile launches from Lebanon.
Trump is under mounting domestic pressure to reopen the strategic waterway and bring down fuel prices ahead of the November congressional elections, even as Iran hawks within his own party warn against any concessions to Tehran. The two sides remain deadlocked over sanctions relief and the release of tens of billions of dollars in frozen Iranian oil revenues held in foreign banks.
