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By Anna Commander
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U.S. forces struck Iranian coastal radar sites on Saturday after shooting down drones launched by Iran toward the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. military said, an exchange of fire that further frayed a shaky ceasefire with Tehran.
Bahrain’s government said Saturday that Iran had fired ballistic missiles and drones toward it and Kuwait. The foreign ministry said they had been intercepted and called on Iran to immediately cease attacks on its Gulf neighbors.
Kuwait’s foreign ministry called the attacks a "serious escalation" and a "flagrant violation of its sovereignty." It said on Saturday that it reserves the right to defend the country.
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The latest strikes comes as the Trump administration ramps up pressure on Iran to make a deal to end the conflict. Speaking to NBC News’ Kristen Welker on Friday, the president said leaders in Iran have not agreed to a deal with the U.S. "They’re strong, they’re proud, there are things they never thought they’d be doing that they’re going to have to do. They’ve got no choice, and it takes a little while," Trump said, according to the outlet.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said on social media Friday night that Iran had fired seven ballistic missiles toward Kuwait and Bahrain, with U.S. forces intercepting six of the missiles and a seventh failing to reach its target. The military said there were no reports of harm to U.S. personnel.
The U.S. earlier in the day shot down four Iranian drones that were launched toward the Strait of Hormuz.
"Moments ago, CENTCOM forces shot down four Iranian one-way attack drones that were launched toward the Strait of Hormuz. The attack drones posed an immediate threat to regional maritime traffic.
"U.S. forces subsequently struck Iranian coastal surveillance radar sites in Goruk and on Qeshm Island to defend against further attacks. American forces remain vigilant and postured to respond to unjustified Iranian aggression in self-defense."
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The new actions by U.S. forces follows ongoing back-and-forth strikes from the U.S. and Iran over the last week or so, including confirmation from CENTCOM on Tuesday that it had launched a Hellfire missile against the Botswana-flagged tanker Lexie sailing toward an Iranian port.
The U.S. added that it had also conducted "self-defense" strikes on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz.
Amid the ongoing exchange of military actions, efforts to negotiate an end to the conflict appear to have stalled. While U.S. and Iranian officials have previously discussed extending a ceasefire, major disagreements appear to remain unresolved. With Washington continuing to apply pressure through sanctions and maritime enforcement measures, and Tehran maintaining military activity in the region, the risk of further escalation seemingly remains high even as both sides signal a willingness to keep diplomatic channels open, The Associated Press reports.
Trump earlier this week said on Truth Social, in part, "Talks are continuing, at a rapid pace, with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" On the platform Tuesday, Trump said he had told Iran, "It’s time, one way or another, for you to make a Deal. You’ve been doing this for 47 years, and it cannot be allowed to go on any longer!"
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Rajan Menon, professor emeritus of International Relations at the City College of New York, previously told Newsweek that the window for reaching a deal "is closing rapidly."
"Trump is encountering severe blowback from those who think he’s about to sign a deal on Iran’s terms. He’s therefore signaling to Iran that it could face renewed war if it doesn’t offer better terms," Menon said.
"Iran, for its part, believes that time is on its side given the steep price increases created by a war that the majority of Americans now oppose as well as Trump’s plummeting approval ratings."
"The situation now resembles a game of chicken: each side is racing full speed ahead, hoping that the other will swerve first to avoid a collision," Menon continued. "The result could well be a collision—meaning a return to war. That outcome is not inevitable, but it is becoming much more likely."
Negotiations aimed at ending the Middle East conflict appear somewhat at a standstill, according to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who said Wednesday that there has been "no tangible progress" in talks, CBS News reported. While Araghchi said that communication channels between Tehran and Washington remain open, he warned that any Israeli attack on Beirut as part of its campaign against Hezbollah could dramatically escalate tensions, the outlet adds. The foreign minister predicted that such a move would trigger a "full-scale resumption" of the conflict between the United States and Iran, per the report.
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