New attacks between the US and Iran in the Persian Gulf. Missile strikes in the Strait of Hormuz and stalled negotiations
After the failure of negotiations over the weekend, the US attacked an Iranian military station in the Strait of Hormuz and an oil tanker. In response, Iran launched missiles and drones at US bases and helicopters in Kuwait and Bahrain, according to the BBC.
The US military announced that it carried out “self-defense” strikes against Iran. US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the strikes on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz targeted an Iranian military ground control station. The attack was justified as “a response to Iran's attempted attacks in the Middle East.”
US forces also shot down three drones launched by Iran against “civilian seafarers lawfully transiting regional waters”.
In response, Iran announced that it had attacked US bases and helicopters in a “country in the region” with missiles and drones.
CENTCOM reported that Tehran had launched “several” ballistic missiles: two missiles fired at Kuwait “missed the target or disintegrated in flight,” and three missiles fired at Bahrain were intercepted by U.S. and Bahraini air defenses.
In reaction, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said that “disrupting the security of the Strait of Hormuz will have a heavy price to pay for the aggressive US military.” Iran has repeatedly attacked targets in Bahrain and Kuwait, countries where US military bases operate.
Naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz
Prior to these exchanges of strikes, CENTCOM announced that it had struck and disabled an unladen oil tanker bound for Iran. The action is part of the naval blockade imposed by Washington in the Strait of Hormuz since April 13.
A US military aircraft fired a Hellfire missile into the engine room of the Botswana-flagged tanker. CENTCOM said the attack occurred after the ship's crew “ignored repeated warnings.” The US military also released a video recording of the moment the ship was hit on Tuesday.
Stalled negotiations and disputes over sanctions
The escalation of the conflict comes after US President Donald Trump told his critics to “keep calm and relax”. Trump claimed that Iran “really wants to make a deal, and it will be a good deal for the United States.”
The US media reported that Trump asked to change the terms of the peace agreement, following a meeting with his advisers. CBS News reported that the new demands target the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, the withdrawal of highly enriched uranium from Iran and a framework for resuming negotiations on Iran's nuclear program.
On Monday, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei denied that the issue was on the agenda. He said Washington is “constantly changing its view and making new or conflicting demands.”
In another statement, CENTCOM said US forces “applied blockade measures against the Botswana-flagged vessel M/T Lexie while it was transiting international waters in the direction of Kharg Island”. The ship's crew “disobeyed the instructions of US forces multiple times over a 24-hour period.”
Since the blockade went into effect, the US military has grounded a total of six merchant ships and diverted another 122.
The recent exchange of blows comes as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared publicly before Congress for the first time since the war began.
The top diplomat said US negotiators did not offer Iran sanctions relief in exchange for reopening the strait.
“Right now, all that's been discussed with them is that … any sanctions relief is conditional, which means it has to be in exchange for the reason those sanctions were imposed in the first place, which is their nuclear program,” he said.
“The war is over,” he said in another tense exchange with a senator as panel members questioned the United States' strategy to end the conflict.
