The United States and Iran exchanged fresh military strikes over the weekend, raising new doubts about diplomatic efforts to end the conflict as President Donald Trump reviews proposed terms for a potential agreement and both sides accuse the other of escalating tensions.
The latest confrontation unfolded as negotiations between Washington and Tehran appeared to make little visible progress in recent days. While officials on both sides have continued to signal interest in a deal, military actions and increasingly sharp rhetoric have underscored the fragile state of the talks.
U.S. Central Command said Sunday that American forces carried out what it described as "self-defense strikes on Iranian radar and command control sites for drones in Goruk, Iran and Qeshm Island."
According to CENTCOM, the operation was launched after Iranian forces shot down a U.S. MQ-1 drone operating over international waters. The military said the response targeted assets deemed a threat to regional shipping lanes.
"The measured and deliberate strikes occurred on Saturday and Sunday in response to aggressive Iranian actions that included the shootdown of a U.S. MQ-1 drone that was operating over international waters," CENTCOM said in a statement.
The command added that U.S. aircraft "responded by eliminating Iranian air defenses, a ground control station, and two one-way attack drones that posed clear threats to ships transiting regional waters."
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps responded with its own statement, claiming responsibility for strikes against what it described as the source of an attack on a telecommunications facility. Iranian officials did not specify the exact location of the target.
Separately, the Kuwaiti military said Monday that it was "responding to hostile missile and drone threats," though it did not publicly identify the origin of those threats. The statement added another layer of uncertainty to an already volatile regional security situation.
Tehran also warned that additional American military actions could trigger a broader response. Iranian officials said that if U.S. attacks continue, Iran's reaction would be "completely different" and that the Trump administration would bear responsibility for any escalation.
The military exchanges come at a sensitive moment for diplomacy. Neither Washington nor Tehran has provided significant public updates on negotiations in recent days. On Friday, President Trump said he would gather senior national security officials in the White House Situation Room to make a "final determination" regarding the status of the talks.
According to a recent CBS News report, Trump personally revised portions of a proposed memorandum of understanding between the two countries. The reported changes included provisions related to the Strait of Hormuz and the handling of Iran's highly enriched uranium stockpile.
Axios reported that a senior administration official and another source familiar with the discussions said Trump remains interested in reaching an agreement but wants stronger guarantees on several key issues before moving forward. Iranian officials, meanwhile, have accused Washington of slowing negotiations through what they characterize as "excessive demands."
Financial markets reacted swiftly to the latest developments.
- Brent crude rose more than 2% to above $93 a barrel Monday morning.
- West Texas Intermediate climbed nearly 3% to $89.92 a barrel.
- Energy traders cited both military escalation and uncertainty surrounding negotiations as factors driving prices higher.
