US and Iran exchange strikes in Gulf in latest test of ceasefire – Yahoo News Australia

Home Latest News US and Iran exchange strikes in Gulf in latest test of ceasefire – Yahoo News Australia
US and Iran exchange strikes in Gulf in latest test of ceasefire – Yahoo News Australia

The shaky ceasefire between the US and Iran has been tested further, with American forces targeting Iranian drones and radar sites, and Iran firing missiles at US bases in the Gulf.
The US military said the attacks were in response to four Iranian "one-way attack drones" launched towards the Strait of Hormuz, which it said "posed an immediate threat to regional maritime traffic". The drones were shot down, US Central Command (Centcom) said.
Tehran called the US strikes a "flagrant" violation of the ceasefire agreement between the two countries.
Iran retaliated by firing ballistic missiles at two US air bases in Kuwait, and US Navy facilities in Bahrain, Iran's Irib news agency reported.
Bahrain and Kuwait both condemned the attacks, saying the drone and missile fire had been successfully repelled.
Centcom said initial assessments showed that of the seven Iranian missiles fired at the two Gulf states, six were intercepted and one did not reach its target.
The United Arab Emirates and Qatar also denounced the Iranian attacks on their Gulf neighbours.
The Iranian foreign ministry said in a statement that the US strikes on radar installations in Sirik and at Qeshm island were a "flagrant" violation of the ceasefire and "an attack on the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran", according to news agencies.
"The US attack demonstrates this country's complete disregard for the principles of international law and the United Nations Charter," the statement added.
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had hit "enemy bases" as retaliation to the American strikes.
There have been several such exchanges of fire, threatening the ceasefire that has been in place since April.
However, even with the conflict between the two nations continuing, the US has granted visas to Iran's World Cup football team, ahead of their first match in Los Angeles on 15 June.
It is the first time the competition will see a host nation receive the team of a country it is at war with.
The attacks occurred as ceasefire negotiations between the US and Iran stalled, with a deal to end the war failing to advance, and US media reporting that President Donald Trump had requested changes to the terms of an agreement.
On Monday, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman said the US was "constantly changing its views and putting forward new or contradictory demands".
The US and Israel launched wide-ranging strikes on Iran on 28 February, sparking conflict across the Middle East.
Iran responded by attacking Israel and US-allied states in the Gulf, and effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, through which around 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas travels.
That oil comes not only from Iran, but also Gulf states such as Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
The closing of the strait sent oil prices soaring globally.
Shortly after a ceasefire was agreed in early April, the US established a blockade of Iranian ports, which Trump said would remain "in full force and effect until an agreement is reached, certified, and signed".
Bowen: Trump needs this war to end but Iran is not backing down
Why and how is US blockading Iranian ports in Strait of Hormuz?
As inflation reaches its highest level in three years and the war in Iran crosses the three-month mark, Federal Reserve officials are carefully attuned to whether inflation becomes sticky enough that they would have to go from holding interest rates steady to hiking.
President Trump stoked anticipation Friday about a possible deal with Iran to extend the ceasefire while also reiterating his red lines — including one around the Strait of Hormuz.
A deal between the US and Iran that includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz has been making progress, but energy analysts warn that global energy markets will take time to normalize even if it gets over the finish line.
Oil prices were volatile on Tuesday after the US and Iran exchanged strikes in southern Iran, complicating ceasefire efforts between the two countries.
President Trump said Saturday evening an agreement with Iran that will set the framework for renewed peace talks and reopen the Strait of Hormuz would be announced shortly.
Oil prices extended gains on Tuesday as President Trump said ceasefire is "on life support" and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, threatening global inventories.
The Americans did not ace their final exam and they remain an unpolished team that has yet to show they're capable of making a deep run in the tournament.
Saturday offered a key test for the U.S. away from home soil, but Brazil came out on top.
All 26 players on Iran's roster were approved for the team's group stage games in Los Angeles and Seattle, though several staff members' visa applications were reportedly rejected.
Game 1 of the NCAA super regionals battle between the SEC Bulldogs resulted in a combined 31 hits and 11 home runs.

source

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.