Iran and the US exchanged attacks despite a ceasefire as talks to end the three-month-old war continued. The US said it struck Iranian military sites on the Gulf coast over the weekend, while Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it targeted a US air base in response.

The two sides have carried out sporadic strikes since the ceasefire began in early April. A similar exchange happened last Thursday. On Monday, Kuwait's state news agency KUNA reported missile and drone interceptions as sirens sounded, without further details.

US Central Command said the weekend strikes were in response to aggressive Iranian actions, including the downing of a US MQ-1 drone over international waters. US fighter jets destroyed Iranian air defences, a ground control station, and two attack drones that threatened ships in the region. CENTCOM said it would continue to protect US interests during the ceasefire. On Sunday, the US said it conducted self-defence strikes on Iranian radar and drone control sites on Goruk and Qeshm Island.

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Iran's Revolutionary Guards said their aerospace force targeted a US-used air base in response to an attack on a telecoms tower on Sirik Island but did not name the base. Earlier, they said they had targeted a US air base in southern Iran. The war, launched by the US and Israel on February 28, has killed thousands, mainly in Iran and Lebanon, and raised global economic pressure by pushing up energy prices due to Iran's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

US President Donald Trump did not mention the latest attacks in a late-night social media post. He repeated his claim that Iran wants to make a deal and criticised Republicans for negative comments about peace efforts. Trump said, "Just sit back and relax, it will all work out well in the end - It always does!" He faces pressure to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and lower US petrol prices before the November elections, while also facing criticism from Iran hawks in his party over any concessions.

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Oil prices rose more than 2% on Monday amid the fighting and stalled negotiations. US crude futures rose $2.29 to $89.65 a barrel, while Brent futures rose $2.05 to $93.17 a barrel. The renewed fighting followed US-hosted Israel-Lebanon peace talks on Friday and reduced hopes for a ceasefire extension, which had helped oil prices ease earlier.

Trump said on Friday he would soon decide on extending the ceasefire to allow more time for a permanent peace deal and to address Iran's nuclear programme. He aims to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons, a claim Tehran denies. The two sides remain divided over sanctions and frozen Iranian oil revenues.

Published on: Jun 1, 2026 12:36 PM IST