U.S. Strikes Iranian Radar Station; Iran Attacks U.S. Bases
The temporary ceasefire negotiations between the U.S. and Iran are once again encountering difficulties: On Saturday, U.S. forces struck an Iranian coastal radar station, while Iran launched retaliatory attacks on U.S. military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain.
The U.S. military stated that on Saturday, June 6, following the downing of four Iranian drones launched toward the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. forces conducted strikes on Iranian coastal radar installations. This marks the latest escalation, further complicating efforts to end the conflict between the two nations.
A U.S. official told Reuters that the four Iranian drones were targeted at disrupting regional maritime traffic. The U.S. Central Command announced on X that subsequent strikes were carried out against two Iranian surveillance sites located near the Strait of Hormuz—Goruk and Qeshm Island.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard claimed it had carried out retaliatory strikes on U.S. military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, and opened fire on four oil tankers attempting to pass through the strait without authorization.
Kuwaiti official media reported that its air defense systems were intercepting missile and drone attacks; Bahrain sounded alarms, with authorities urging residents to seek shelter.
Both Kuwait and Bahrain condemned the attacks. The Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry described Iran's actions as "open aggression," disregarding international calls for restraint and posing a direct threat to citizens, residents, and regional security.
Iran later claimed it had used ballistic missiles to strike military bases in both countries, but the U.S. military said six of the missiles were intercepted, while the seventh failed to reach its target.
Difficulties in Reaching a U.S.-Iran Agreement
The U.S. and Iran are currently engaged in primarily indirect negotiations aimed at reaching a temporary agreement to halt the war, which has lasted for three months, leaving issues such as Iran’s nuclear program to be addressed in future talks. However, ongoing intermittent small-scale clashes continue to hinder progress toward a deal.
Tehran is demanding billions of dollars in oil revenues, seeking exemption from crude oil export sanctions, calling for lifting U.S. blockades on its ports, and demanding dominance over the strait. In practice, Iran has effectively blocked this waterway, which previously carried about one-fifth of global oil shipments before the conflict.
According to Iranian state media, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi was en route to Tehran on Saturday to mediate the end of the conflict. Islamabad has not yet confirmed the report.
President Trump is facing growing domestic political pressure due to rising fuel prices, forcing him to seek an exit from this unpopular war. He told NBC, despite most of Iran’s drone and missile manufacturing facilities having been destroyed, Iranians still retain approximately one-fifth of their missile stockpile.
Lebanon Conflict Continues
In parallel, the conflict in Lebanon continues: On Friday, Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah announced it had launched two attacks on Israeli military positions in southern Lebanon, while Lebanese security officials reported that Israeli airstrikes hit multiple towns in southern Lebanon.
Iran reiterated its support for Hezbollah and demanded Israel withdraw from Lebanon. Tehran has made a ceasefire between Iran and Israel a prerequisite for any peace agreement with Washington.
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem rejected this week a U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Lebanese government, citing the absence of an Israeli withdrawal clause and the fact that Hezbollah was not involved in the negotiations.
Israel stated that amid increasing friction with the United States, its forces will not withdraw from Lebanon or cease operations.
Source: DW
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1867359925355524/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) alone.