Attacks and counterattacks between Iran and the United States continue despite President Donald Trump sending back proposed changes to a deal aimed at extending the existing ceasefire in the region and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
The latest military exchanges between the United States and Iran over the weekend came as diplomatic efforts continued behind the scenes to secure a broader agreement and lay the groundwork for renewed negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme.
US Central Command (Centcom) said it carried out what it described as “self-defence strikes” against Iranian military targets on Saturday and Sunday in response to “aggressive Iranian actions.” The operation targeted radar installations and drone command-and-control facilities in southern Iran after Tehran allegedly shot down a US MQ-1 drone operating over international waters.
In a statement, Centcom said American fighter aircraft destroyed Iranian air defence systems, a ground control station, and two attack drones that posed a threat to commercial and military vessels transiting regional waters. The military added that no US personnel were injured during the operation.
Iran retaliated, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) saying it had targeted an air base used by US forces in response to an attack on southern Iran, without specifying the location.
Iran also claimed it struck a US air base that had been used to launch attacks on a telecommunications facility on Sirri Island in the Gulf. The IRGC did not identify the location of the base but warned that any further US military action would trigger a significantly stronger response.
The announcement came shortly after Kuwait, which hosts a US base, said that its air defence systems had intercepted what it described as hostile missile and drone attacks. While Kuwaiti authorities did not specify the source of the projectiles.
The weekend confrontation marks the third such escalation in just over a week around the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints.
Although both sides have repeatedly exchanged fire since a ceasefire took effect in early April, the latest incidents have heightened concerns that the truce could unravel if diplomatic efforts stall.
Negotiations aimed at transforming the temporary ceasefire into a more durable agreement have gained momentum in recent weeks, with President Trump repeatedly expressing confidence that a deal remains within reach. In a post on Truth Social on Monday, Trump urged critics to “sit back and relax,” saying Iran “really wants to make a deal” and predicting that the outcome would ultimately benefit the United States.
The latest draft reportedly includes a 60-day cessation of hostilities, measures to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and a framework for restarting talks on Iran’s nuclear activities. However, no final agreement has been announced.
A high-level meeting at the White House on Friday reportedly ended without a definitive decision, with Trump requesting additional changes to the proposal.
The US President reiterated that preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons remains a non-negotiable condition of any potential agreement.
“The one guarantee that I have to have is that there will be no nuclear weapons,” Trump said during an interview with Fox News.
He also indicated that his administration was not under pressure to conclude negotiations quickly, stating that he was in “no hurry” to finalize a deal.
According to reports, the proposed changes relate to the future status of the Strait of Hormuz and the handling of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
Iranian negotiators have signalled resistance to any arrangement they believe undermines the country’s sovereign rights. Tehran’s chief negotiator said on Sunday that Iran would not sign an agreement unless its national interests and rights were fully protected.
