The United States said it destroyed Iranian drones threatening maritime traffic near the Strait of Hormuz as Iran fired missiles toward Bahrain and Kuwait, intensifying a conflict now entering its 100th day.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The United States said it shot down two Iranian drones threatening international shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, marking a new escalation in a war that reached its 100th day Sunday with diplomatic efforts stalled and regional tensions spreading across the Gulf and Lebanon.
U.S. Central Command said the two drones were destroyed after they posed a threat to maritime traffic in the vital waterway, a major route for Gulf oil and gas shipments. The announcement came hours after CENTCOM said U.S. forces had struck four other Iranian drones and coastal surveillance radar sites.
The latest military activity followed weeks of indirect talks that have failed to produce a deal to end the conflict or reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway remains a critical chokepoint for global energy markets, and the fighting has increased pressure on shipping, oil prices and U.S. policy in the region.
Iran responded Saturday with missile fire aimed at U.S. allies Bahrain and Kuwait, according to U.S. officials. CENTCOM said Iran launched seven ballistic missiles toward the two Gulf countries. Six were intercepted, while one fell short of its target.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had targeted “enemy bases in the area” with missiles.
Bahrain, which hosts the headquarters of the U.S. Fifth Fleet, condemned the attacks as “blatant aggression.” Kuwait said the strikes “represent a dangerous escalation.”
In Manama, Bahrain’s capital, an AFP journalist heard three explosions as air raid sirens sounded. In Kuwait, another AFP journalist reported hearing repeated blasts near the international airport, where a Wednesday strike blamed on Iran killed one person.
“We woke up to a huge explosion,” said Reem, a mother of two. “My children were terrified, and I couldn’t calm them down.”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry denounced the latest U.S. strikes as “flagrant” violations and accused Washington of “hostile and provocative behaviour.”
The renewed violence has placed additional pressure on an April 8 ceasefire that has struggled to hold. Efforts to convert the truce into a lasting settlement have repeatedly failed, with neither side reaching agreement on the central disputes driving the war.
“The negotiations are at a deadlock, and Trump must break this deadlock,” Mohsen Rezaei, military adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, told CNN.
Rezaei also called for the release of about $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets. Washington, however, may seek to use Iranian funds to cover damage caused by Iranian attacks on Gulf allies.
A source familiar with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s thinking said the U.S. “Treasury will utilize all tools available to allow Iranian assets to be made available to our Gulf allies to support rebuilding and repairs for any future damage caused by Iran.”
The war has rattled global markets and created growing domestic pressure for President Donald Trump as midterm elections approach. The conflict has disrupted energy shipments and added to concerns about inflation, fuel prices and broader instability in the Middle East.
The fighting also remains linked to Lebanon, where Iran-backed Hezbollah entered the broader Middle East conflict by attacking Israel on March 2. Lebanon called Friday for Iran to stop interfering in its affairs.
Lebanon’s army chief, Rodolphe Haykal, left Saturday for Pakistan, which has become a key mediator between the United States and Iran. Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi arrived in Tehran the same day to meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Iran has maintained in its negotiations with Washington that the fighting in Lebanon and the war in the Gulf are connected and must be addressed together.
Lebanon said Saturday that an Israeli strike in the country’s south killed three soldiers. Israel’s military said it was “reviewing the incident” and said its operations in Lebanon were aimed at Hezbollah, not Lebanese government forces.
Lebanon’s health ministry also said two women were killed and 22 people were wounded in an Israeli strike on Saksakiyeh in southern Lebanon. Israel’s military announced Saturday that two of its soldiers had died.
The ceasefire announced in April did not halt the fighting in Lebanon. A new conditional truce proposal announced this week was rejected by Hezbollah.
A separate diplomatic dispute has added to the tensions. The United States declined to grant visas to some staff members of Iran’s World Cup football team, prompting objections from Iranian officials.
Iranian state television said the team’s players and technical staff had received visas, but reported that 15 administrative and managerial members of the delegation were denied entry.
An unnamed U.S. administration official said, “We will not allow the Iranian team to abuse this system to sneak terrorists into the United States under false pretenses.”
Iran’s embassy in Turkey called on FIFA to “hold the US accountable for violations of its rules and for the discriminatory treatment” of the Iranian team.
Iran’s Football Federation described the visa denials as “political interference in sport in its worst form.” The federation’s chief, Mehdi Taj, was reportedly among those denied a visa.
Iran’s ambassador to Mexico said Saturday that the team had been notified that, under the terms of their visas, players must enter and leave the United States on the same day as their matches.
The drone interceptions, missile attacks and expanding diplomatic disputes reflect the widening impact of the war as U.S. and Iranian negotiators remain unable to move beyond a fragile truce and toward a broader settlement.
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