US and Iran continue mutual strikes despite ceasefire
Al Jazeera Staff
Despite a ceasefire that took effect on April 8, U.S. and Iranian forces continue to strike each other's military targets, dimming hopes for a sustainable peace deal. On June 2, President Trump said a "very good deal" was near, but the same day saw fresh attacks from both sides.
On June 2, U.S. President Donald Trump declared he was nearing a "very good deal" with Iran, but at the same time, Washington and Tehran launched a new series of strikes against each other, clouding the prospects for ending the war.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said it struck Iranian radars and drone bases in the city of Goruk and Qeshm Island on June 1-2, in retaliation for Iran downing a U.S. MQ-1 drone over international waters. "The deliberate and careful strikes eliminated Iranian air defense systems, a ground control station, and two one-way attack drones threatening passing vessels," CENTCOM announced on social media platform X.
In response, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on June 2 said it attacked a U.S. airbase, from which a strike on a telecommunications tower in southern Iran was launched. The semi-official Fars news agency quoted the IRGC as saying: "Fighter jets of the IRGC Aerospace Force targeted the airbase where the aggression originated, and the targets were destroyed." The IRGC did not specify the base's location.
On the same day, Kuwait's air defense forces intercepted attacking missiles and drones, according to the KUNA news agency. A senior official of the Kurdish Komala party (Iran) also accused the IRGC of firing two missiles at their headquarters in the Alana valley, Erbil province, northern Iraq.
Since the U.S.-Iran ceasefire took effect on April 8, the two sides have continued to attack each other. On April 10, Kuwait said seven drones entered its airspace and accused Iran and allied armed groups behind them. Four days later, the U.S. imposed a naval blockade on ships entering and leaving Iranian ports. On April 18, Iran fired on two Indian vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. By April 20, the U.S. seized an Iranian container ship near the Gulf, which Iran called an act of piracy.
Tensions escalated further in May. Iran fired missiles and drones at the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on May 4, causing a fire at an oil refinery in Fujairah. On May 17, a drone strike caused a fire at the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the UAE. Saudi Arabia said on the same day it had intercepted three drones launched from Iraqi airspace.
In the latest development, CENTCOM on May 28 shot down five Iranian drones and struck a ground control station in Bandar Abbas. The IRGC retaliated by targeting a U.S. base responsible for the attack and warned of a "more decisive response" if repeated.
On negotiations, President Trump on June 1 on Truth Social did not mention the fresh fighting but said Iran "really wants to get a good deal." According to the New York Times, Trump revised some terms of the proposal aimed at ending the war, tightening demands, particularly on Iran's nuclear materials.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on June 1 told IRNA that "dialogue and exchange of messages are ongoing" with the U.S., but "it is not possible to evaluate until a clear conclusion is reached." Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf asserted that Tehran would not agree to any deal that does not fully guarantee Iran's interests, while expressing distrust in the "words and promises of the enemy."
Analysts say collapsed agreements and military attacks during negotiations have eroded Iran's trust in the U.S. as a partner. "Two wars have passed, much destruction in the region, nothing achieved, and the goals keep changing," said Negar Mortazavi, a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy in Washington.
