The Iran US conflict intensified on Thursday after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claimed responsibility for targeting a US airbase following American strikes near the Strait of Hormuz.
According to US officials, American forces carried out defensive strikes on an Iranian drone operation close to Bandar Abbas. The operation reportedly destroyed four attack drones and a ground control station that was preparing to launch another drone.
A US official said the action was aimed at protecting the ceasefire that came into effect earlier this year. The official described the strikes as “measured and defensive.”
Soon after the operation, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced it had attacked a US military base in response to what it called an American assault near Bandar Abbas airport. Iranian media said the targeted base was linked to the earlier US drone strike, though the exact location was not revealed.
The latest Iran US conflict has increased concerns over the fragile ceasefire between both countries. The renewed tensions also pushed global oil prices higher after markets reacted to fears of instability in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy routes.
Kuwait confirmed that it was responding to missile and drone threats but did not officially identify the source of the attacks. In northern Israel, warning sirens were activated after reports of suspicious aircraft activity linked to regional tensions.
US crude oil prices rose more than three percent after the developments, while global stock markets weakened and the dollar gained strength.
US President Donald Trump dismissed reports suggesting Washington was close to reaching a compromise deal with Tehran. He said the United States was not discussing easing sanctions on Iran at this stage.
Trump also rejected Iranian media claims that a draft agreement existed to restore commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz under joint Iranian and Omani management. He insisted that no country would control the strategic waterway, calling it international waters.
The Iran US conflict has also complicated discussions over sanctions, frozen Iranian assets and Tehran’s nuclear program. Iranian officials continue to demand the release of blocked funds, describing them as the legal property of the Iranian nation.
Meanwhile, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on the Persian Gulf Strait Authority, an Iranian body involved in managing traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian state media claimed a possible agreement could include the withdrawal of some US military forces from areas near the strait. However, the White House dismissed the report as false.
Talks surrounding Iran’s nuclear program remain one of the biggest challenges in negotiations. Iran maintains that its nuclear activities are for peaceful purposes, while the United States continues to insist that Tehran must never develop nuclear weapons.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US position on Iran’s nuclear ambitions remains unchanged.
