US and Iran trade strikes as ceasefire falters
Truce under pressure as Tehran counters US attacks by targeting military installations in Bahrain and Kuwait
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US carries out second day of strikes against Iran
Military action in response to Iranian attacks on shipping is a further blow to hopes of sustained ceasefire
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Aime Williams in Washington
Published4 hours ago
Updated19:48
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The US military said it had carried out a second day of strikes on Iran, further imperilling the fragile ceasefire agreement struck between Washington and Tehran almost two weeks ago.
US Central Command, which oversees US military operations in the Middle East, said it conducted “additional strikes against multiple targets” on Saturday after the country continued to attack tankers travelling through the Strait of Hormuz.
Centcom said it had targeted Iranian military surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defence sites, drone storage facilities and minelayer capabilities.
The US launched the strikes “in direct response to continued Iranian aggression against commercial shipping” on the orders of US President Donald Trump, Centcom said.
“United States aircraft just struck Iranian missile and drone storage locations, and coastal radar sites, for violating the Cease Fire Agreement, AGAIN!” Trump posted on Truth Social.
“It is very possible that they will never learn! There may come a point when we are no longer able to be reasonable, and will be forced to militarily complete the job that we very successfully started. If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist!”
The weekend strikes follow US attacks on Iran on Friday to retaliate for Iran’s drone offensive on the Singapore-flagged container ship Ever Lovely, and follow reports earlier on Saturday of another tanker coming under attack.
In a statement, Centcom said Iran had been “given a chance to honour the ceasefire agreement”, but had “elected not to” by attacking a Panama-flagged tanker, the Kiku, in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Centcom said the vessel was transiting near the Strait of Hormuz with more than 2mn barrels of crude oil.
UK Maritime Trade Operations said earlier in the day that the vessel had sustained damage to its bridge after being hit by an “unidentified projectile”.
The strikes threaten to undermine efforts to reopen the strait under the memorandum of understanding signed by the US and Iran on June 17.
The interim agreement called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and for Iran to allow maritime traffic in the strategic waterway to return to prewar levels.
The International Maritime Organization paused its evacuation plan for ships stuck in the strait on Thursday, following Iran’s attack on the Ever Lovely.
“Commercial vessel transits through the Strait of Hormuz continue. US forces remain vigilant, lethal, and ready,” said Centcom in a statement.
Iranian officials have sought to link the conflict between Israel and Hizbollah in Lebanon, which has not been party to the talks, to its ceasefire deal with the US.
Both Trump and US vice-president JD Vance have criticised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for continuing strikes against Lebanon while Washington has attempted to broker a deal with Tehran.
Lebanese and Israeli officials signed a framework deal with the US in Washington on Friday after four days of talks aimed at ending the war in Lebanon and disarming Hizbollah.
The agreement lays out a pathway for the Israeli military’s gradual withdrawal from a “security zone” stretching some 10km into south Lebanon, beginning with two “pilot” areas where the Lebanese Armed Forces will be deployed.
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