Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reported a retaliatory strike on Monday morning following US bombardments in the southern Iranian province of Hormozgan over the weekend, as talks on a negotiated settlement to the Iran war continued to stall.
The powerful corps said it had struck a base from which US forces had launched their attack. The location was not named.
The US military said it had bombed radar and drone control centres in Iran after Tehran allegedly shot down a US drone. The US regional command CENTCOM described the strikes on the social media platform X as "self-defense strikes." The drone, an MQ-1, had been shot down over international waters, it added.
Trump: Just sit back and relax
The US and Iran have for days been negotiating a framework agreement to extend the ceasefire in place since April 8, as well as further talks. Despite this, both sides have again exchanged fire in recent days. Concern about a further escalation of the Iran war therefore remains high.
Trump meanwhile sought support for his negotiations with Iran. "Just sit back and relax, it will all work out well in the end - It always does!" the 79-year-old Republican wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Kuwait reports missile and drone strikes
Earlier on Monday morning, the Gulf state of Kuwait had sounded the alarm over hostile airstrikes. The army provided no information about the origin of the drones and missiles, or the targets of the attacks. The population was urged to follow the instructions of the security authorities.
The US military maintains bases in several Gulf states including Kuwait, just a few hundred kilometres away from Iran.
Social media users reported rocket fire from the Iranian province of Khuzestan. A video showing a long white smoke trail in the sky near the city of Omidiyeh was said to show the launch of a ballistic missile. The authenticity of the footage could not initially be independently verified.
Fears for the future shape daily life in Iran
While Iran's authoritarian leadership negotiates with the US over an end to the conflict, fears for the future are shaping daily life in Iran.
Residents have for weeks reported massive price increases affecting large parts of society. Food, rents and prices in cafés and restaurants have shot up. Many Iranians have consequently cut back and are buying only essentials.
Iranian Foreign Ministry accuses EU of 'selective outrage'
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei accused the EU of "selective moral outrage" in the wake of the latest escalation in the Gulf.
"Iran’s strikes against those bases & assets that are used to launch unlawful attacks against Iran are a lawful exercise of self-defense," the spokesman wrote on X.
On Friday, a spokesman for the EU's foreign affairs service condemned Iranian attacks on Kuwait. The small Gulf state had already been targeted by Iranian drone and missile strikes the previous week, aimed at US positions. In a statement, the EU called on all sides to uphold international law.
