New exchange of fire with Iran in the Gulf tests the fragile ceasefire – National
Iran fired missiles and drones towards Bahrain and Kuwait on Saturday, the Bahraini government said, adding that they had been intercepted. It called on Tehran to immediately stop attacks on its Gulf neighbors, which it saw as a “major escalation.”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the US earlier on Saturday attacked patrol facilities on Qeshm Island and Sirik saying they were used to protect borders and “ensure the safety of navigation in international waters.” Tehran called the attack a violation of the fragile ceasefire.
The latest exchange of fire came as the Trump administration pressed Iran for a deal to end a war that has crippled the global economy and threatened famine in some of the world’s most vulnerable countries.
Iran said it targeted US forces
The US military previously said it had shot down several Iranian missiles and drones launched near the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf Arab allies, and attacked the Islamic Republic’s coastal surveillance radar sites.
“Aggressive drones pose a threat to maritime traffic,” the US Central Command said on social media. It confirmed that it had hit radar sites, including an island in the strait, “to protect against further attacks.”
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Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it targeted the Ali Al Salem air base, which hosts US troops in Kuwait, and the US Navy’s 5th Fleet in Bahrain, according to the IRNA news agency. The US military said there were no reports of injuries to US personnel.
Earlier in the week, Iranian drones heavily damaged the passenger boarding area of Kuwait’s main airport, killing one person and injuring dozens.
The US military has continued its blockade of Iranian ports in response to Tehran’s interference in a key global oil and natural gas export corridor, which has sent energy prices soaring and created political problems for President Donald Trump’s Republican Party ahead of the mid-term congressional elections.
Trump promises to quickly end the US-Iran conflict
Despite concerns about a potential ceasefire, Trump told reporters on Friday that “the situation with Iran appears to be going well.” He told the event that “we’re going to get out of Iran very quickly and it’s going to be very strong in some way, whether it’s paper or a very hard way.”
Trump is increasingly seen as belligerent. US and Iranian negotiators reached an indefinite deal last week to extend the ceasefire by 60 days and begin a new round of talks on Iran’s nuclear program. But Trump has called for unspecified changes and Iranian officials have shown no public sign of agreeing to the deal.
Asked Friday why it’s taking so long, Trump told NBC’s “Meet the Press” it’s because “it’s a very difficult thing for them.”
He added that the Iranians still have 21% to 22% of their missiles. One of the stated goals of the war is to destroy Tehran’s missile system.
The ongoing war in Lebanon, where Israeli forces have seized large swathes of land in the south while targeting Iran-backed Hezbollah militants, is also challenging efforts to end Iran’s war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has demanded that any permanent deal extend to Lebanon.
The Trump administration announced the latest ceasefire agreed earlier in the week by the governments of Lebanon and Israel after US talks in Washington. However, Hezbollah has rejected the agreement.
An Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon on Saturday killed nine people, including three members of the Lebanese army, the Lebanese army and state media said. The Israeli military said it was reviewing the incident and said it was dealing with Hezbollah and not the Lebanese army.
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