US Strikes Iranian Radar Sites After Downing of Drone; Kuwait Reports Missile and Drone Attacks Amid Strait of Hormuz Tensions
The United States military said it struck Iranian radar and command-and-control sites over the weekend, while Tehran reported targeting an American base in response, marking the third known escalation in a week near the Strait of Hormuz. US Central Command described the operations as "self-defense strikes" triggered by "aggressive Iranian actions," including the shooting down of a US drone over international waters. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated it had attacked an air base used by US forces for strikes on southern Iran, without specifying the location, as Kuwait confirmed its air defense system was "confronting hostile missile and drone attacks."
Details of the US Strikes and Iranian Response
The US military reported conducting "self-defense strikes on Iranian radar and command and control sites for drones" on Saturday and Sunday in the city of Goruk, near Iran's southern coast, and on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. In a post on X, US Central Command said American fighters struck Iranian military air defenses, a ground control station, and two drones that it assessed "posed a clear threat to ships transiting through regional waters." No American personnel were injured in the attacks, the military confirmed.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it targeted the airbase that the US had used to carry out the strikes on its communications tower on Sirri Island in the Gulf, approximately 40 miles (65 kilometers) from Iran's southern coastline. According to remarks reported by Iran's semi-official Fars news agency, Iran's military added that its response would be "completely different" if US aggression was "repeated."
Kuwait's Defense Operations and Regional Impact
Kuwait's military announced on Monday that it was "confronting hostile missile and drone attacks" but did not specify where the interceptions were occurring. State news agency KUNA reported that air raid sirens sounded across the country. The development comes after Tehran targeted an air base in Kuwait last week in response to earlier US air strikes, which Washington said were conducted to prevent Iranian boats and missile strikes from laying mines around the shipping channel. The Strait of Hormuz remains blocked as attacks continue despite ongoing ceasefire negotiations.
Status of US-Iran Negotiations and Ceasefire Terms
President Donald Trump urged his critics to "sit back and relax" in a post on Truth Social early on Monday, saying it would "all work out well in the end." He stated that Iran "really wants to make a deal, and it will be a good one for the USA." The strikes represent the latest exchange between the two sides after negotiations on a deal to end their months-long war failed to advance over the weekend. US media reported that President Trump had requested changes to the proposed terms, specifically related to the Strait of Hormuz shipping channel and the removal of highly enriched uranium, according to CBS News, the BBC's US news partner. The White House did not respond to a request for comment. Iran's chief negotiator said on Sunday that Tehran would not agree to any deal unless Iranian rights were fully secured.
While a ceasefire came into effect on April 8, Trump has repeatedly suggested the US and Iran are close to a permanent deal and that negotiations are progressing, but no formal agreement has been reached so far. Trump and senior aides met on Friday to make a "final determination" about a framework for extending the ceasefire, but the meeting concluded without clarity on the next steps before reports later emerged that the president had requested changes to the text. The latest terms include a 60-day cessation of violence, a call to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and a framework to reopen negotiations on Iran's nuclear program, CBS News reported.
Context
Satellite images have shown that Iran attacks have damaged 20 US military sites since the start of the war. The current escalation follows a pattern of reciprocal strikes between the two nations, with previous exchanges including Iranian missile attacks on US bases in Kuwait and American air strikes on Iranian positions near the Strait of Hormuz.