US strikes Iran again as fragile ceasefire comes under fresh threat

The fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran came under fresh pressure at the weekend after American forces launched new strikes on Iranian military targets.

The US Central Command said American fighter aircraft carried out what it described as “self-defence strikes” on Iranian radar and drone command facilities in southern Iran.

According to CENTCOM, the strikes targeted a ground control radar station and command-and-control sites for drones in Goruk and on Qeshm Island.

The US military said the operation followed the shooting down of an American MQ-1 drone, which Washington said was operating over international waters.

“The measured and deliberate strikes occurred on Saturday and Sunday in response to aggressive Iranian actions that included the shootdown of a US MQ-1 drone that was operating over international waters,” CENTCOM said in a statement.

It added that no US military personnel were injured in the operation.

Iran, however, rejected the US version of events, with Iranian media describing the drone as hostile and claiming it was shot down after entering Iranian territorial waters.

The latest exchange has raised fears of renewed hostilities between Washington and Tehran, weeks after both sides agreed to a fragile ceasefire in April.

The truce had already come under pressure after earlier exchanges of strikes between the two countries.

Last week, Iran reportedly targeted a US air base after American forces carried out strikes on what Washington described as an Iranian drone operation near the Strait of Hormuz.

The latest US strikes are now being seen as another major test for the ceasefire, which has been violated several times since it was reached.

The tension also spread across the Gulf early Monday as Kuwait said its air defences were intercepting incoming missiles and drones.

State media reported air raid sirens across Kuwait as military units responded to what officials described as hostile aerial threats.

Kuwait’s army said the sounds of explosions heard in the country were caused by air defence systems intercepting the attacks.

“The General Staff of the Army wishes to advise that any sounds of explosions heard are the result of air defence systems intercepting these hostile attacks,” the army said.

Kuwait is among Gulf countries that have been caught in the wider fallout of the US-Iran confrontation.

Iran has also warned that it is not yet ready to sign a deal with the US to end the conflict.

Tehran has reportedly insisted on conditions, including charges on Gulf shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

President Donald Trump has said he will not agree to a deal with Iran unless Tehran gives firm guarantees on nuclear weapons and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz.

The latest strikes have now deepened uncertainty over whether the ceasefire can survive another round of military confrontation.