The United States launched fresh strikes on 10 Iranian military sites on Saturday after accusing Tehran of violating the ceasefire agreement, increasing concerns that the conflict could escalate again despite ongoing diplomatic efforts.
The U.S. military said it carried out the strikes on President Donald Trump's orders after an Iranian drone allegedly attacked the merchant tanker Kiku in the Strait of Hormuz. The targets included surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defence sites, drone storage facilities and minelayer capabilities.
The latest military action comes despite an interim agreement between Iran and the United States aimed at negotiating a permanent end to the conflict. The renewed exchanges in the Persian Gulf highlight the risk that the ceasefire could break down.
Trump Warns Iran After Fresh Strikes
Trump said on social media that the United States had "struck Iranian missile and drone storage locations, and coastal radar sites, for violating the Cease Fire Agreement, AGAIN!"
"There may come a time when the United States can no longer act rationally and will be forced to complete the job militarily," Trump said.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran will cease to exist if that occurs!" he added in a post on Truth Social.
The strikes followed another exchange earlier this week, when the U.S. military responded after an Iranian drone struck a merchant vessel off the coast of Oman on Thursday.
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US Blames Iran for Tanker Attack
According to U.S. Central Command, the Iranian military used a one-way drone to target the oil tanker Kiku while it was passing through the Strait of Hormuz carrying almost two million barrels of crude oil.
Ship-tracking websites showed that the Kiku had departed a Qatari oil field in the central Persian Gulf earlier this week and was heading to a port in the United Arab Emirates on the Gulf of Oman, across the Strait of Hormuz.
The vessel appeared to be using a route near the Omani coast instead of the Iran-approved route through Iranian waters.
The U.S. Navy-led multinational maritime organisation said on Saturday that it would extend the Omani route to allow both inbound and outbound traffic. The move is expected to become another point of disagreement with Tehran, which considers the strait an important source of leverage in negotiations with the United States.
"Iran had a chance to honour the ceasefire agreement," the U.S. military said, but "elected not to" when its forces attacked the Kiku.
Iranian state television reported explosions in an area immediately north of the Strait of Hormuz.
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