The ceasefire between the US and Iran may technically still be in effect, but it now involves the use of ballistic missiles. Iran launched one at an American air base in Kuwait, the Revolutionary Guard said Thursday, reports the Wall Street Journal. US Central Command confirmed and said the missile was intercepted over Kuwait, per the Washington Post. The move came after the US again struck an Iranian military facility on the Strait of Hormuz in what a US official described as a “defensive” measure intended to maintain the ceasefire. That strike came after US forces say they shot down five Iranian attack drones in the strait.
Each side accuses the other of being the aggressor, and Iran warned of a more aggressive response if attacked again. “This response is a serious warning so that the enemy knows aggression will not go unanswered,” the Revolutionary Guard said in a statement. “If repeated, our response will be more decisive. Responsibility for the consequences lies with the aggressor.”
The exchange comes as negotiations drag on over reopening the waterway in return for sanctions relief and access to frozen Iranian funds, with disputes over Tehran’s nuclear program still unresolved. The regional backdrop is also heating up, notes the New York Times: Israel said it struck near Beirut and expanded “combat zones” in southern Lebanon while pounding additional sites there. President Trump, citing past long-running wars, said at a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday that he will not rush into a final deal.
