U.S. and Iranian forces exchanged strikes early Saturday local time, days after the two sides issued contradictory messages about the status of ceasefire discussions and a week before Israel’s strike on southern Beirut further raised regional tensions. The exchanges underscored how fragile the diplomatic track remains even as President Trump publicly insisted that talks were progressing.
U.S. Central Command said it intercepted a wave of missiles and drones launched by Iran toward the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf region. American forces also struck coastal surveillance radar sites in Iran after shooting down four Iranian attack drones, CENTCOM said. The following day, the command said U.S. forces downed two more Iranian drones that had been threatening international traffic in the crucial waterway.
Iran, for its part, fired several shots as a “warning” near the Strait of Hormuz, which the semi-official Mehr news agency reported “may have been related” to the repositioning of U.S. naval vessels in the area. The dueling actions raised the risk of a broader confrontation at the chokepoint through which nearly a fifth of global oil supply flowed before the war.
The spillover widened beyond the strait. CCTV footage showed fire and smoke rising following a strike on Kuwait International Airport, a reminder that Gulf Arab states remain exposed to the conflict’s expanding perimeter. In Lebanon, clashes between Israeli forces and Hezbollah intensified over the same period despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire between the governments of Israel and Lebanon — a ceasefire Hezbollah has rejected.
The human toll continued to mount. The Lebanese and Israeli armies both reported personnel deaths in southern Lebanon: two Israeli soldiers were killed in separate incidents, according to their military, and the Lebanese army said several of its soldiers, including a high-ranking officer, were killed in an Israeli strike. At least 3,593 people have been killed since the U.S. and Israel launched their campaign against Iran on February 28.
The weekend exchanges help explain why crude, despite sliding on weak Chinese demand Friday, held a 3-to-4% gain for the week. With the Strait of Hormuz still effectively closed and U.S. and Iranian forces trading fire around it, the supply-disruption premium that had faded during May’s sell-off has shown signs of returning — even as the physical pump price for U.S. drivers continues to ease.
Continuing coverage: Geopolitics · Iran · Oil Prices.