The United States said it shot down a pair of Iranian drones threatening the Strait of Hormuz, the latest escalation of violence as the war crept into its 100th day on Sunday with no end in sight.
Weeks of indirect talks marked by tit-for-tat threats and sporadic exchanges of fire have failed to secure a deal to end the conflict or reopen the vital waterway, a chokepoint for Gulf oil and gas shipments.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it destroyed two Iranian drones “that threatened international maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz”, hours after announcing it struck four other drones and coastal surveillance radar sites.
Tehran responded with a salvo of missiles at US allies Bahrain and Kuwait on Saturday, drawing a furious response from the Gulf monarchies and piling pressure on a shaky ceasefire agreed on April 8.
CENTCOM said Iran launched seven ballistic missiles towards Bahrain and Kuwait, with six intercepted and one falling short. It added, “There are currently no reports of harm to US personnel, and Iranian claims of damaging US 5th fleet headquarters in Bahrain are false.”
Bahrain, which hosts the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet, denounced the latest attacks as “blatant aggression”, while Kuwait said they “represent a dangerous escalation”.
Efforts to turn the truce into a lasting settlement have repeatedly stalled, while the conflict has rattled global markets and increased pressure on US President Donald Trump at home ahead of midterm elections.
“The negotiations are at a deadlock, and Trump must break this deadlock,” Mohsen Rezaei, military adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, told a US media outlet as he called for the release of some $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged on Saturday Lebanese president Joseph Aoun, who had criticized Tehran for interfering in his country, to save Lebanon from its “real foe”.
Beirut’s army chief Rodolphe Haykal left on Saturday for Pakistan, which has emerged as a central mediator between the United States and Iran.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi landed in Tehran the same day to meet Iran’s Foreign Minister Araghchi.
Iran, in its peace negotiations with Washington, has insisted the fighting in Lebanon and the war in the Gulf are inextricably linked.
On Saturday, Lebanon said an Israeli strike in the country’s south killed three of its soldiers. Israel’s military said it was “reviewing the incident” and insisted its campaign in Lebanon was targeting Hezbollah, not government forces.
The Health Ministry said two women were killed and 22 people wounded in an Israeli strike on Saksakiyeh in the south.
The Israeli military, meanwhile, on Saturday announced the death of two of its soldiers. (AFP)
