Highlights
- US forces carried out strikes on Iranian military sites over the weekend.
- Iran said it responded by targeting a US-used air base.
- Kuwait reported intercepting hostile missiles and drones.
- President Trump said Iran wants a deal and negotiations continue.
- Disputes over the Strait of Hormuz and uranium remain unresolved.
The United States said it carried out strikes on Iranian military sites over the weekend, while Iran said it responded by targeting an American base. The latest actions mark the third known escalation in a week around the Strait of Hormuz.
US Central Command (Centcom) said it launched "self-defence strikes" in response to "aggressive Iranian actions". The US military said those actions included an American drone being shot down over international waters.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it targeted an air base used by US forces for an attack on southern Iran. The group did not specify the location of the base.
At the same time, Kuwait, which hosts a US military base, said its air defense system was "confronting hostile missile and drone attacks". Officials did not provide further details.
President Donald Trump urged critics to "sit back and relax" in a post on Truth Social early Monday (1). He said it would "all work out well in the end". Trump also said Iran "really wants to make a deal, and it will be a good one for the USA".
The latest strikes come after negotiations aimed at ending months of conflict between the US and Iran failed to make progress over the weekend. US media reported that Trump had requested changes to the proposed agreement.
According to CBS News, the requested changes involve the Strait of Hormuz shipping route and the removal of highly enriched uranium. The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
Iran's chief negotiator said on Sunday (31) that Tehran would not accept any agreement unless Iranian rights were fully protected.
The US military said it carried out operations on Saturday (30) and Sunday (31) against Iranian radar and drone command-and-control sites. The targets were located in Goruk, near Iran's southern coast, and on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz.
In a post on X, Centcom said US fighter aircraft struck Iranian air defense systems, a ground control station, and two drones. The military said the targets "posed a clear threat to ships transiting through regional waters".
The US said no American personnel were injured during the operations.
The IRGC said it responded by targeting the air base that had been used by the US to launch strikes against its communications tower on Sirri Island in the Gulf. The island is about 40 miles, or 65 kilometers, from Iran's southern coastline.
Iran's military warned that its response would be "completely different" if US aggression was "repeated". The remarks were reported by Iran's semi-official Fars news agency.
Kuwait's military said on Monday that it was "confronting hostile missile and drone attacks". Officials did not say where the interceptions were taking place. State news agency KUNA reported that air raid sirens sounded across the country.
Last week, Tehran targeted an air base in Kuwait in response to earlier US air strikes. Iran said those strikes were intended to stop Iranian boats and missile attacks from placing mines around the shipping route.
Although a ceasefire took effect on April 8, Trump has repeatedly said that the US and Iran are close to reaching a permanent agreement and that talks are moving forward. However, no formal deal has been announced.
Trump and senior advisers met on Friday to make a "final determination" on a framework to extend the ceasefire. The meeting ended without a clear decision, and reports later said the president had requested changes to the draft agreement.
CBS News reported that the latest proposal includes a 60-day halt in violence, a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and a framework for restarting negotiations on Iran's nuclear program.
About one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas shipments normally pass through the Gulf shipping channel. The current trade restrictions have increased pressure on fuel prices around the world.
