In new Gulf flare-up, US attacks Iranian sites after Tehran drone launch Mohsen Rezaei, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, said a peace deal hinged on the US unfreezing $24 billion in Iranian assets. Saturday 06/06/2026 A still image from a video obtained by Reuters on June 5, 2026, shows US forces conducting an interdiction of the sanctioned stateless oil tanker Davina in the Indo-Pacific region. WASHINGTON/ TEHRAN US forces struck Iranian coastal radar sites on Saturday after shooting down drones launched by Iran toward the Strait of Hormuz, the US military said, in the latest escalation complicating efforts to end the war between the two countries. The US military believes the four Iranian drones were targeting regional maritime traffic, a US official told Reuters. US Central Command said on X that the US then struck Iran’s surveillance sites in Goruk and Qeshm Island, which are both on the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had targeted US bases in the region with missiles in retaliation for US strikes and fired on four tankers attempting to cross the strait without its permission. Kuwaiti air defences were intercepting missile and drone attacks of undisclosed origin, state media reported, while in Bahrain sirens sounded and residents were urged to seek shelter. Iran said it had hit US bases in both countries with ballistic missiles but the US military said six missiles were intercepted and a seventh did not reach its target. The US and Iran have been engaged in largely indirect negotiations to secure an interim deal to halt the three-month-old war that would leave issues including Iran’s nuclear programme to further negotiations. But amid periodic skirmishes a deal has remained elusive. As part of any agreement, Tehran wants access to billions of dollars in oil revenue, waivers on sanctions on crude exports, the lifting of a US blockade on its ports and leverage over the strait. Iran has effectively blocked the strait, where about a fifth of the world’s oil transited before the war. US President Donald Trump is facing mounting domestic political pressure due to rising gas prices to bring the unpopular war to an end. He told NBC that while most of Iran’s drone and missile manufacturing facilities had been destroyed, the Iranians still have access to about a fifth of their missiles. “They have some missiles, they have some drones. I would say percentage wise, maybe 21%-22% of their missiles. It’s a lot of missiles, but it’s not what it was when we first attacked,” Trump told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” program, according to excerpts released by the network on Friday. When asked why Iran’s leaders –if as desperate as he has portrayed them– were not more inclined to strike a deal, Trump said: “Because they are strong. They’re proud. There are things they never thought they’d be doing that they’re going to have to do, they’ve got no choice, and it takes a little while.” But Trump vowed to end the Iran war quickly and remove a source of high prices as he campaigned in rural central Wisconsin in a bid to help Republicans keep control of Congress in midterm elections. “We’re going to come out of Iran very quickly and it’s going to be strong one way or the other,” Trump said at a roundtable event in Chippewa Falls. “Your fertiliser prices are going to go way down, just like they were four months ago.” After the US and Israel launched the war against Iran on February 28, Tehran fired missiles and drones against Gulf states hosting US bases and largely stopped shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. In so doing, Iran has also targeted civilian infrastructure and energy installations in neighbouring countries. The conflict has driven up oil prices and disrupted supply chains for other products. The UN World Food Programme said on Friday that it was pushing millions of people closer to hunger due to rising fuel and transport costs. Mohsen Rezaei, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, told CNN on Friday that a peace deal hinged on the Trump administration unfreezing $24 billion in Iranian assets, and warned that the US would “enter into a dark corridor” if it resumed attacks. Along with Lebanon, residents of Gaza, northern Israel and Kuwait have all been under fire this week, despite US-arranged ceasefires that Trump said involved “shooting in a more moderate manner”, rather than a total halt to fighting. The latest flare-up came despite the United States moving ahead with allowing Iran’s national football team to travel to the FIFA World Cup it is co-hosting with Canada and Mexico. US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack confirmed the visa issuances, saying that “sports transcends borders, and we look forward to welcoming competitors and fans from around the world.” However, Iran’s Fars news agency reported that visas had yet to be issued for some members of the team’s “technical and executive staff.” An unnamed US administration official said in a statement: “We will not allow the Iranian team to abuse this system to sneak terrorists into the United States under false pretenses.” Suggested By Editor Iran hits Kuwait, offers conflicting explanations amid shaky ceasefire Suggested By Editor Iran hits Kuwait, offers conflicting explanations amid shaky ceasefire