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Topic:Unrest, Conflict and War
Sun 28 Jun 2026 at 8:00am
Vessels pictured in the Strait of Hormuz, near where the US has launched fresh strikes on Iran. (Reuters: West Asia News Agency)
The United States and Iran have exchanged strikes against targets in the Middle East, underscoring rising tensions that threaten the interim deal between the two nations to stop the war.
The US launched fresh strikes on Iranian military infrastructure near the Strait of Hormuz early this morning, saying the action was in response to Iranian attacks on commercial shipping.
Iran then launched missile and drone strikes targeting US allies Kuwait and Bahrain, prompting the US to launch a second round of air strikes, and Iran to return fire.
The United States and Iran have exchanged strikes against targets in the Middle East, underscoring rising tensions that threaten the interim deal between the two nations to stop the war.
The US launched fresh strikes on Iranian military infrastructure near the Strait of Hormuz early Sunday morning, local time, saying the action was in response to Iranian attacks on commercial shipping.
Iran then launched missile and drone strikes targeting US allies Kuwait and Bahrain, prompting the US to launch a second round of air strikes, which were also retaliated against by the Iranians.
Both sides are now accusing the other of violating the peace deal signed by the two sides earlier this month, which promised the "permanent termination of military operations on all fronts".
The US military's Central Command (CENTCOM) said its initial strikes hit Iranian military "surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defence sites, drone storage facilities and mine-layer capabilities" following an Iranian attack on a ship at sea early Saturday morning.
That ship, the Panama-flagged tanker Kiku, carried crude oil for the state-run energy company of Qatar, a key negotiator between Iran and the US.
"Commercial vessel transits through the Strait of Hormuz continue. US forces remain vigilant, lethal, and ready," CENTCOM said in its statement.
Iran's military said in a statement that the US strikes had violated the ceasefire and "will result in the complete halt of all diplomatic processes", according to state-run Press TV. Its navy command said American bases in the region "will experience hell in the coming days".
Iran's missile and drone attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain in response saw both of those countries' governments issue warnings to their citizens to seek shelter.
A statement from Bahrain's Foreign Ministry said a "number of Iranian drones" had targeted the country, labelling the attack "a flagrant threat to the security of citizens and residents".
The Kuwaiti army said it had intercepted two ballistic missiles with no damage or casualties.
Both Kuwait and Bahrain host US military bases, though it was not immediately clear what had been struck or where either wave of missiles and drones had landed.
An unnamed US official told Reuters there were no reported US casualties or damage to American infrastructure in the region from the first attack, but added the situation was still unfolding.
Donald Trump has warned Iran will "no longer exist" if the US decides to escalate. (Reuters: Evan Vucci)
Posting on social media on Sunday morning as the two sides exchanged fire, US President Donald Trump said it was "very possible that they [Iran] will never learn".
He warned there may come a point when the US was "no longer able to be reasonable" and would be forced to "militarily complete the job" it had "very successfully started".
Mr Trump added: "If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist!"
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said the US's actions in striking five Iranian coastal posts were a violation of the ceasefire, warning the attack would "result in the complete halt of all diplomatic processes," according to a statement cited by state media.
Iran says it has struck targets linked to US forces in response to American air strikes on its southern coast, as each side continues to accuse the other of violating last week's agreement meant to end the four-month-old war.
The recent strikes come less than a day after similar exchanges of fire between the two warring powers, despite the peace deal negotiated earlier this month and the previously negotiated ceasefire that has technically been in place since April.
Similarly to how today's exchange played out, Iran on Saturday said it had struck targets linked to US forces in response to earlier American air strikes on its southern coast, accusing Washington of violating last week's agreement aimed at ending the four-month war.
The US rejected that claim, saying its military action was a response to Iranian attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran's attacks on commercial vessels have continued in and around the strategic waterway, through which about one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas supplies normally pass.
Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi, said responsibility for returning maritime traffic in the strait to pre-war levels lay solely with Tehran and urged others not to intervene "in Iran's administration of the strait".
Washington has been promoting a southern lane along the coast of Oman, while Tehran, which ultimately aims to charge fees for use of the strait, wants ships to use a northern route through its waters and under its control.
Iran accuses the US of violating its commitment under the peace deal to sustaining a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Ending the fighting in Lebanon between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group is a key part of the deal.
Israel, an ally of the US, invaded Lebanon in March citing its pursuit of Hezbollah. It said its latest attacks had killed Hezbollah militants in the Nabatieh area.
Israel, which is not a party to the US-Iran deal, and Lebanon have repeatedly agreed to US-brokered ceasefires.
But these have had only limited effect, with Israel insisting it will not withdraw from Lebanese territory it has seized and Hezbollah repeatedly rejecting calls to give up its arms as long as Israeli troops remain in place.
ABC/Wires
Sun 28 Jun 2026 at 8:00am
Sun 28 Jun 2026 at 11:31pm
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