Iran warned Sunday that it could bring ongoing peace talks with the United States to a “complete halt” after a fresh exchange of military strikes in recent days.The ceasefire agreement reached earlier this month appeared to fracture after Iran attacked commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. retaliated against Iranian targets along the waterway, drawing Iranian missile launches against Bahrain and Kuwait, which host American military bases.Tehran said it attacked commercial ships following frustration over a U.S.-affiliated maritime agency establishing inbound and outbound traffic routes near Oman, which prompted Iran to reaffirm that it should be in control of the waterway.
“Any interference in this matter, any attempt to establish new or separate arrangements from those currently being carried out by the Islamic Republic of Iran, will only lead to further complications, delay the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and increase the level of tension, just as over the past two nights we witnessed incidents in the Strait of Hormuz that led to an increase in tension and confrontation,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday. U.S. Central Command responded by striking Iranian radar sites, missile positions, drone facilities, and other military targets along the strategic waterway, saying the operation was intended to protect freedom of navigation.Iran answered Saturday and into Sunday with drone and missile attacks targeting U.S. military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait. Kuwaiti authorities said two ballistic missiles were intercepted before reaching their targets, while Bahrain reported damage to a residential building near its airport but no immediate reports of fatalities.President Donald Trump defended the strikes on Iran and warned against further attacks, saying the U.S. was prepared to “complete the job” if necessary.TRUMP SAYS COMMUNISM IS THE BIGGEST THREAT FACING AMERICA ON EVE OF 250TH BIRTHDAY“It is very possible that they will never learn!” Trump said. “There may come a point when we are no longer able to be reasonable, and will be forced to militarily complete the job that we very successfully started. If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist!”The renewed violence marks the most serious challenge yet to the peace effort launched after the U.S. and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding earlier this month intended to end the conflict and restore transit through the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial oil shipping artery.
