TEHRAN (Realist English). The United States and Iran exchanged fresh strikes overnight on June 6, jeopardizing an already fragile ceasefire. Ballistic missiles also struck the territories of Kuwait and Bahrain — Gulf states that host major US military bases. The Financial Times reports, citing official representatives of the Pentagon and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Timeline of the exchange
Evening of June 5, 2026. US Central Command (CENTCOM), responsible for military operations against Iran, reported that its forces intercepted four Iranian kamikaze drones over the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the command, the drones posed an “immediate threat to regional maritime traffic.” In response, US forces struck “Iranian coastal surveillance radar sites” in Goruk and on Qeshm Island.
Simultaneously, Iran, following a pattern similar to the attacks on June 3, launched missiles at US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain. CENTCOM said six missiles were intercepted and a seventh failed to reach its target. Reports that Iranian missiles had struck the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain were called “false” by the Pentagon.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps explained the drone launch by saying that four vessels had attempted to leave the Gulf without Iran’s permission. Since the start of hostilities on February 28, Tehran has established control over the strategic waterway, demanding that all passing vessels pay a fee and follow shipping lanes close to the Iranian coast. The IRGC accused the vessels of acting under the guidance of the US military.
Strikes on Kuwait and Bahrain
Kuwait, where air raid sirens sounded five times overnight, confirmed that its air defences had been intercepting missiles and drones. Bahrain also declared an air raid alert and urged residents to take shelter.
In response to the strikes, Kuwaiti authorities announced the expulsion of two Iranian diplomats within 24 hours, condemning the “flagrant violation” of its territorial integrity and the attack on civilian infrastructure. India, whose citizen was killed in the attack, called on the parties to cease violence.
Two days earlier, on June 3, 2026, Iranian strikes on Kuwait’s main international airport killed one person (an Indian citizen) and injured more than 60. Tehran claimed at the time that the damage was caused by a malfunctioning US interceptor missile, but Washington categorically denied this version.
Negotiations at an impasse
The escalation comes amid prolonged attempts to extend the fragile truce reached in early April and reach a long-term agreement. Under its terms, Iran would gradually reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and the US would ease its naval blockade of Iranian ports. A second phase would involve negotiations on the future of Iran’s nuclear programme.
However, Tehran is demanding access to $24 billion of its oil revenues held abroad and significant sanctions relief. US President Donald Trump is not yet ready to agree to these terms.
Despite the mutual strikes and seemingly stalled negotiations, Trump said on June 5 in an interview with NBC News that “the situation with Iran seems to be going quite well.” He added that it would take time for Iran to sign a deal on terms acceptable to Washington.
“They are strong. They are 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 time,” the US president said.
Trump, who is under growing domestic pressure to resolve the crisis with Iran ahead of the midterm elections in November, appears to be betting that economic pressure and military strikes will eventually force Tehran to give in.
A senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mohsen Rezaei, told CNN that progress on a peace plan depends entirely on the unfreezing of assets, calling it a “test of trust” and adding that “the ball is in Trump’s court.”
The outcome depends on Washington’s ability to reach an agreement with Tehran while simultaneously restraining its ally Israel, whose actions remain the main irritant for the Iranian side. For now, diplomacy remains on hold, giving way to escalation on the battlefield.
The exchange of strikes between the US and Iran is becoming increasingly regular. Kuwait and Bahrain, home to major US bases, have become recurring targets for Iranian retaliation.
Civilian infrastructure (Kuwait’s international airport) is also being hit, leading to civilian casualties. The negotiation process is effectively frozen, and each new attack raises the risk of a complete collapse of the ceasefire and a return to full-scale hostilities.
