US and Iran Trade Fresh Strikes as Strait of Hormuz Tensions Threaten Fragile Peace Deal

KUALA LUMPUR, June 28 — The United States and Iran have exchanged fresh attacks in the Gulf, marking one of the most serious escalations since both sides signed an interim agreement less than two weeks ago to halt a four-month conflict.

According to Reuters, the latest escalation began after the US military said it had carried out new strikes on Iran following an attack on a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime route for global energy shipments.

The Strait of Hormuz has become the central flashpoint in the crisis. Reuters reported that the waterway carried around one-fifth of global oil and LNG supplies before the war and had only recently begun reopening after months of disruption.

US Central Command said the latest strikes were a direct response to what it described as continued Iranian aggression against commercial shipping. The US said its targets included Iranian military surveillance, communications, air defence, drone storage and mine-laying facilities.

The US military said the strikes followed an attack on a Panama-flagged tanker near the Strait of Hormuz. Reuters reported that the incident came after another cargo ship attack earlier in the week, further increasing concerns over the safety of commercial vessels in the Gulf.

Iran rejected the US position and accused Washington of violating the ceasefire. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said US strikes had undermined the agreement and warned that American bases in the region could face more attacks.

Shortly after US President Donald Trump warned that Washington could “militarily complete the job,” Iran launched missile and drone attacks on US military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain, according to Reuters.

The Kuwaiti army said its air defences responded to hostile missile and drone attacks, while sirens were heard in Bahrain, according to the country’s interior ministry. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said the operations were carried out by its navy and air forces in response to recent US strikes.

A US official confirmed the attacks on facilities in the region and said the situation was still developing. However, the official said there were no reported US casualties or major damage to US sites in the Middle East at that stage.

The renewed violence has placed the 14-point US-Iran interim agreement under severe pressure. The agreement was designed to stop the fighting, reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping and allow negotiations on deeper issues, including Iran’s nuclear programme.

The conflict itself began on February 28, when the US and Israel started military action against Iran, according to Reuters. The interim deal was intended to halt the four-month war and reduce the risk of wider regional escalation.

One round of mediated talks had already taken place in Switzerland, involving US Vice President JD Vance and Iran’s Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf. Washington had also waived some sanctions on Tehran after the talks, but the renewed military exchanges have now placed the diplomatic process in doubt.

Both sides are now accusing each other of breaking the ceasefire. The United States says Iran continued attacking commercial shipping, while Iran says US military action violated the agreement and damaged the prospects for diplomacy.

The Strait of Hormuz remains the most sensitive issue. Iran has sought greater control over shipping movement through the waterway, while Washington has pushed for a southern shipping lane along the coast of Oman. Tehran, according to Reuters, wants vessels to use a northern route through waters under its control.

The situation is also important for global energy markets. Hundreds of ships, including oil tankers, had reportedly been blocked inside the Gulf since the war began. As vessels started leaving through the strait in recent weeks, oil prices had moved closer to pre-war levels due to the increase in available supply.

However, the latest tanker attack and military strikes could again raise concerns over shipping safety, insurance costs and energy supply routes. Any sustained disruption in the Strait of Hormuz could affect oil and LNG flows to global markets.

The crisis is not limited to the Gulf. Iran has also accused the US of failing to uphold its commitments linked to a ceasefire in Lebanon, where Israel has been fighting Hezbollah, the Iran-backed group.

Reuters reported that Israel, which is not a party to the US-Iran agreement, and Lebanon have repeatedly agreed to US-brokered ceasefires, including the latest one on Friday. However, those ceasefires have had limited impact as Israel has insisted it will not withdraw from Lebanese territory it has seized, while Hezbollah has rejected demands to give up its weapons while Israeli troops remain.

The Lebanon issue adds another layer of complexity to the US-Iran peace process. Tehran appears to be linking regional ceasefires and the role of Iran-backed groups to the broader diplomatic track with Washington.

For the United States, the immediate priority is likely to be protecting commercial shipping and US military sites in the Gulf. For Iran, the focus appears to be asserting leverage over the Strait of Hormuz and responding to US strikes while maintaining pressure through regional fronts.

The latest escalation also increases pressure on Gulf states, particularly Kuwait and Bahrain, where US-linked military sites were reportedly targeted. These countries may now face higher security risks as tensions between Washington and Tehran deepen.

From a diplomatic perspective, the situation is highly fragile. The interim agreement was meant to create space for talks, but repeated attacks, military warnings and public accusations have made the process increasingly unstable.

If the attacks continue, the peace deal could collapse entirely, potentially reopening a wider conflict involving the Gulf, Lebanon, Israel and US military assets across the region.

The development is suitable for Update News because it involves current US-Iran military escalation, the Strait of Hormuz tanker attack, threats to global shipping, Iran’s retaliation against US-linked sites and the possible breakdown of a fragile peace deal.