The US and Iran have exchanged fresh blows as negotiations hit a snag
The US and Iran exchanged strikes on 2 and 3 June, the most extensive since the ceasefire was declared in April, according to the BBC.
According to US Central Command, the US military struck an Iranian military facility on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. The target was a ground control centre. The US also reported the interception of three attack drones which, according to its sources, were directed against civilian vessels in regional waters.
In addition, CENTCOM reported a Hellfire missile strike on the engine room of a tanker flying the Botswana flag, which was heading towards the Iranian island of Khark. The command stated that the vessel had repeatedly ignored warnings and failed to comply with the US military’s demands.
In response, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reported missile and drone strikes on US bases and helicopters in one of the countries in the region. The Iranian side also claimed to have attacked the headquarters of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain.
According to US Central Command, Iran fired two ballistic missiles towards Kuwait and three missiles at Bahrain. CENTCOM claims that the missiles did not reach their targets, and those fired at Bahrain were intercepted by air defence systems.
Iranian state media stated that the attacks were in response to a US strike on a communications tower south of Qeshm Island. Tehran emphasised that its actions were a reaction to previous US strikes.
These events are unfolding against a backdrop of reports of difficulties in negotiations between Washington and Tehran. Iranian media reported that contacts via intermediaries had been suspended, whilst US President Donald Trump stated on 1 June that negotiations between the parties were continuing and progressing ‘at a rapid pace’.
US Central Command also reported a new incident within the naval blockade. US forces stopped a tanker flying the Botswana flag that was heading for Iran, citing a breach of established restrictions as the reason for their actions.
