Iran and the United States engaged in military strikes on Thursday, marking a significant escalation in hostilities just weeks after a fragile ceasefire was established in early April. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that it targeted a US air base, retaliating against what it described as an early morning US attack near Bandar Abbas airport. A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that American forces shot down four Iranian attack drones and struck a ground control station in the port city of Bandar Abbas, which was preparing to launch a fifth drone. The official emphasized that the US actions were measured, purely defensive, and intended to maintain the ceasefire.
Escalation Amid Ceasefire
The exchange of fire has dampened hopes for a peace deal and caused oil prices to surge once again. US crude futures gained more than 3 percent, while stocks fell and the dollar rose. The conflict, which began on February 28 with US and Israeli strikes, has resulted in thousands of casualties and driven global energy prices sharply higher. Kuwait, which hosts a large US base, reported responding to missile and drone attacks without specifying their origin. Israel also reported sirens in northern Israel due to hostile aircraft activity, as it continues to fight Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in southern Lebanon.
Trump Rejects Hormuz Deal Report
President Donald Trump dismissed a report from Iranian state TV claiming that an unofficial draft agreement had been obtained to restore commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz to prewar levels within a month, with Iran and Oman jointly managing traffic. Speaking at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Trump asserted that no single country would control the waterway and appeared to threaten Oman, a US ally with decades-long military and economic ties. “Nobody’s going to control (the strait),” Trump said. “It’s international waters and Oman will behave just like everybody else or we’ll have to blow them up. They understand that, they’ll be fine.”
Iranian Response
Tehran condemned the US attack on Bandar Abbas, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei expressing solidarity with Oman after what he termed “US officials’ threats.” The Iranian TV report of a framework deal suggested that the United States would lift its blockade of Iranian ports and withdraw military forces from Iran’s vicinity. However, Trump stated that he was not yet satisfied with a deal and that the US was not discussing easing sanctions on Iran. The White House dismissed the report as a “complete fabrication,” while Iran did not comment on the draft agreement.
Sticking Points in Negotiations
Ebrahim Azizi, head of the Iranian parliament’s national security committee, asserted that Trump’s “rhetoric” would not force Iran to back away from its demands to enrich uranium, wield authority over the strait, and see sanctions lifted. The dismantling of Iran’s nuclear capacity and ongoing sanctions remain key sticking points in talks aimed at ending the three-month conflict. The Strait of Hormuz, which handled a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas traffic before the war, is covered by international law guaranteeing foreign vessels the right to pass through. The US Treasury Department added the Arabian Gulf Strait Authority, the Iranian body set up to manage passage through the strait, to its list of sanctioned entities seen as posing threats to US national security.
Nuclear Program Dispute
The Iranian TV report on the draft agreement did not address Iran’s nuclear program, which the US wants disbanded. Iranian sources have indicated that talks on the nuclear issue would come in a second round of negotiations, a prospect that may not be acceptable to some of Trump’s closest supporters. Iran maintains that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated at the cabinet meeting, “The bottom line is Iran’s never going to have a nuclear weapon.”
