US official says ‘technical talks continue’ with Iran, no new strikes in past hours
The comments came after Iran launched an attack on US military infrastructure in the Gulf states on Thursday, saying the strikes were in retaliation for a wave of US strikes a day earlier that targeted about 90 Iranian military facilities, including air defense systems, coastal surveillance assets and missile and drone storage facilities, according to US Central Command.
This latest shift has further undermined a fragile three-week ceasefire that was already strained after attacks on Qatari and Saudi shipping vessels earlier this week led US President Donald Trump to declare the ceasefire “over”.
The Iranian military said it targeted US Patriot missile systems in Kuwait, an early warning facility in Qatar and a US Army fuel depot in Bahrain. The Revolutionary Guard later announced that they also fired ballistic missiles at Jordan’s Azraq military base used by US forces and the US military command center in the region.
Kuwait said that one cruise missile, three ballistic missiles and 10 unmanned aerial vehicles were seized, and one person was injured as a result of shrapnel. Jordan said eight missiles were intercepted after sirens sounded across the country, and no injuries or damage were reported.
The US military said the strikes earlier this week were launched in response to Iranian attacks on three tankers near the Strait of Hormuz and were aimed at keeping the vital shipping lane open. The organization stated that the United States has helped facilitate the passage of more than 800 commercial ships carrying approximately 380 million barrels of crude oil through the strait since the beginning of May, adding that Iran does not control the waterway. Reuters was unable to independently verify either side’s claims.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard accused Washington of disrupting efforts to restore normal shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and said traffic had reached about half pre-war levels under Iranian control. He warned that further US intervention would lead to an “overwhelming response”. Separately, Iranian media reported multiple explosions in southern Iran, including Bushehr, Konarak, Chogadak and Bandar Abbas. A US official told Reuters there had been no American attacks in recent hours.
Bushehr is home to Iran’s Russian-made nuclear power plant. A local official later told Iranian state media that a US shell struck the perimeter of the facility, an area previously hit during the conflict.
The increase coincided with the burial of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at a mausoleum in Mashhad after a week of funeral ceremonies. According to Reuters, Khamenei was killed in a US-Israeli airstrike on February 28, the opening day of the war that triggered months of conflict, disrupted global energy supplies and left thousands dead.
According to Reuters, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi also held separate meetings with his counterparts from Turkey, Oman and Pakistan, and all parties emphasized the need to prevent further escalation of military tensions and revitalize diplomatic efforts.
