Both the US and Iran launched strikes and issued renewed threats over the weekend
This past weekend saw the US and Iran trade multiple attacks, straining an already delicate ceasefire.
A residential building in Bahrain was heavily damaged in an Iranian attack, its Interior Ministry said, and a Qatari citizen died because of shrapnel resulting from “the military operations in the area,” according to Qatar’s Interior Ministry.
Here’s a look at developments in the conflict over the past few days:
The renewed exchange of fire began on Thursday, when Iran struck a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. US President Donald Trump described the attack as a “foolish violation” of the agreement to end the war, and on Friday, the US military conducted strikes against Iranian military targets around the strait.
The US carried out further strikes on Saturday, which Iran called a “clear violation” of the memorandum of understanding. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Sunday that it targeted US facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait in retaliation for US airstrikes.
While Iran has not claimed responsibility for the initial attack on Thursday, it came hours after the IRGC warned that vessels would only be given safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz via Iranian routes.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said yesterday that any interference in Iran’s management of the Strait of Hormuz will escalate tensions, amid signs of ships evading Tehran-controlled routes. Several large merchant ships also passed through the southern part of the waterway yesterday, though this traffic was still only a fraction of pre-war levels.
After the renewed attacks, US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said yesterday that the US would continue to target Iranian military infrastructure if Tehran threatened shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
A senior US administration official told CNN that technical talks regarding the US-Iran memorandum of understanding are still “on track” despite the exchange of fire. Hours after this, a Trump administration official said that the US and Iran “will stand down for now,” adding that “vessels can move freely.” It’s not yet clear what Iran’s position is on the matter.
In an agreement signed on Friday, Israel agreed that it would withdraw from two areas in southern Lebanon and transfer the sites to the Lebanese military. The next day, the Israeli military carried out a drone attack in southern Lebanon. An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) official told CNN the strike was aimed at eliminating a threat to its troops.
In the days since, fighting has continued in southern Lebanon. Yesterday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said that a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon must be part of a final deal with the US. Also yesterday, Israel approved continued military operations in southern Lebanon.
CNN’s Brad Lendon, Ibrahim Dahman, Mohammed Tawfeeq, Zachary Cohen, Jessie Yeung, Kevin Liptak, Casey Gannon, Yasha Saebi, Aida Karimi, Tim Lister, Kathleen Magramo, Logan Schiciano, Julia Benbrook, Hanna Ziady, Eugenia Yosef and Oren Liebermann contributed to this reporting.
