US and Iran trade strikes as Tehran claims ceasefire violation

Fresh tensions erupted in the Gulf on Saturday after Iran accused the United States of breaching a peace agreement, following a new round of military strikes exchanged between both sides.

The confrontation came days after Washington blamed Tehran for attacking a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, intensifying concerns over stability in the strategic waterway as negotiations toward a broader peace deal continue.

According to US Central Command (CENTCOM), American forces struck Iranian missile depots, drone storage facilities and coastal radar positions in retaliation for what it called “unwarranted aggression against commercial shipping by Iranian forces” that “clearly violated the ceasefire”.

Iran strongly criticised the attacks and responded through retaliatory operations by its Revolutionary Guards.

“These brutal attacks, which targeted Iranian coastal surveillance facilities, are a blatant violation” of the memorandum of understanding reached to end the conflict, Iran’s foreign ministry stated.

The Revolutionary Guards said they targeted US facilities in the Gulf region and warned that “if the aggression is repeated, our response will be broader than this”.

Bahrain confirmed that several Iranian drones targeted the country early Saturday and accused Tehran of undermining ongoing peace efforts.

Iranian state media reported an explosion near the port city of Sirik late Friday, with a military source attributing the blast to a “projectile impact”.

Despite the incident, Mehr news agency later stated that operations at Sirik Port remained normal and no infrastructure damage had been recorded.

US President Donald Trump earlier denounced the reported Iranian drone strike on a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, calling it “a foolish violation of our ceasefire agreement”.

Vice President JD Vance issued a separate warning on X, stating that “violence will be met with violence” if further attacks occur.

Although Iran has instructed vessels not to enter or exit the Gulf through Hormuz without authorisation, shipping traffic has continued, with some ships reportedly using routes outside Tehran’s approval system.

Markets reacted cautiously to the renewed tensions, though oil prices continued to decline amid expectations that traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — a route carrying about 20 percent of global oil and gas exports — would remain open.

Israel-Lebanon deal welcomed

Separately, Israel and Lebanon welcomed a US-brokered agreement signed Friday designed to reduce tensions on their front in the wider regional conflict.

The agreement, reached after multiple rounds of talks in Washington, includes plans for Lebanese troops to assume control of two Israeli-occupied areas and outlines steps toward Hezbollah’s disarmament.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the accord “begins to put in place a framework for lasting peace and security”.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the deal, describing it as a strategic gain against Iran, while insisting Israeli troops would remain in their security zone until Hezbollah is fully disarmed.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun described the framework as a “first step” toward allowing displaced civilians to return home under Lebanese sovereignty.

The agreement, however, triggered protests in Beirut from Hezbollah supporters opposed to the arrangement.

IAEA seeks strict safeguards

The International Atomic Energy Agency has meanwhile warned that any permanent US-Iran agreement must include robust verification measures to prevent Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons capability.

IAEA Director Rafael Grossi said Iran had clearly stated it did not intend to build nuclear weapons but stressed that assurances alone were insufficient.

“But of course intentions are not enough. We have to have a very strong verification system in place… as soon as is practicable,” Grossi said.

The interim agreement requires Iran’s enriched uranium reserves to be reduced under the supervision of the UN nuclear watchdog.

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