US & Iran clash again putting fragile deal under growing strain

A fragile truce between the United States and Iran hung in the balance Saturday after US forces said they struck Iranian targets in another tit-for-tat response to attacks on shipping in the vital Strait of Hormuz.

The clashes brought new tension to the negotiating process meant to end a war launched by the United States and ‘Israel’ at the end of February. They also underlined the risks still facing one of the world's most important sea lanes for oil and other commodities.

US Central Command, or CENTCOM, said it hit "multiple targets in Iran."

This, CENTCOM said, was in response to an Iranian drone attack on the Panama-flagged oil tanker "Kiku," which was carrying some two million barrels of crude.

The US military said the latest response targeted "surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defense sites, drone storage facilities, and minelayer capabilities."

Iranian media reported several explosions in Sirik and Qeshm areas, in southern Iran.

On Friday, the United States also conducted strikes that it said it were in response to another Iranian attack on a ship, the "Ever Lovely."

Iran said Saturday it had hit US targets in the Gulf in its own retaliation.

Bahrain said it was targeted by several Iranian drones early on Saturday and accused Tehran of "sabotaging peace efforts."

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said "if the aggression is repeated, our response will be broader."

‘Israel’, meanwhile, launched strikes in Lebanon and Hezbollah's leader Naim Qassem rejected a deal to end that conflict, which has also threatened to derail the wider US-Iran peace effort.

Iran called "these brutal attacks... a blatant violation" of the interim truce deal.