Iran and US Trade Strikes as Fragile Gulf Ceasefire Nears Collapse
Iran and the United States have exchanged fresh attacks in the Gulf, raising concerns that a fragile ceasefire agreement between the two countries is collapsing.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it struck US-linked targets in the Gulf in retaliation for earlier US airstrikes on Iranian missile, drone, and radar facilities. Those US strikes were themselves carried out after Washington accused Iran of attacking a commercial cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz.
US Central Command said its latest operations targeted Iranian missile and drone storage sites as well as coastal radar positions, calling them a response to “unwarranted aggression against commercial shipping” and a violation of the ceasefire agreement.
US officials, including Vice President JD Vance, warned that further attacks would be met with force, while President Donald Trump described Iran’s actions as a “foolish violation” of the ceasefire.
Iranian state media reported explosions in the Sirik area, though officials said there was no significant damage to port infrastructure. Tehran warned that any further escalation would be met with a “broader” response.
The tensions spread beyond the US-Iran confrontation, with Bahrain reporting Iranian drone attacks on its territory, which Tehran has not detailed. Meanwhile, a tanker was struck by an unidentified projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, though no injuries were reported.
The latest escalation has cast doubt over a June 17 US-Iran memorandum of understanding aimed at reducing tensions and securing maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil route. Both sides now accuse each other of violating the agreement, as security in the Gulf continues to deteriorate.
