Here's the latest
• Renewed tensions: The US “detected a couple drones” after Iran said it had launched strikes against American military sites in the Middle East, but the drones did not reach their targets, a US official told CNN. Earlier Saturday, a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz was struck by an “unidentified projectile.”
• Ceasefire tested: The US struck Iranian targets around the strait on Friday in response to an earlier attack on a cargo ship. Back-and-forth developments in the key waterway have cast uncertainty over an agreement signed by Washington and Tehran this month. The pact was intended to restore normal marine traffic, but that has not been reflected at sea.
• Where talks stand: The initial US-Iran agreement kicked off a 60-day period for negotiating a final peace deal, with the future of Tehran’s nuclear program among the key issues still to be agreed upon. The deadline would be reached in mid-August.
Iranian drones didn't reach their targets, US official says
The US “detected a couple drones” as Iran said it had launched strikes on American military targets in the Middle East, but those drones did not reach their targets, a US official told CNN Saturday.
Iran had said it had struck the targets in response to US strikes around the Strait of Hormuz, per Iranian state media Press TV, as tensions over the key waterway have strained a peace deal between the two nations.
What to know about the latest tensions in the Middle East
The latest escalation in the Middle East began with an Iranian attack on Thursday against a commercial vessel near the Strait of Hormuz, which US President Donald Trump described as a “foolish violation” of the initial agreement to end the war.
The US military then conducted strikes on Friday against Iranian military targets around the Strait of Hormuz. “US aircraft struck Iranian missile and drone storage locations and coastal radar sites,” CENTCOM said. “The unwarranted aggression against commercial shipping by Iranian forces clearly violated the ceasefire.”
That was followed by Tehran’s announcement that it launched strikes on US military targets on Saturday. The US military “detected a couple drones” but no assets were hit, a US official told CNN.
Earlier Saturday, Bahrain had reported Iranian drone attacks on its territory, which hosts a US military base. And a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz was struck by an “unidentified projectile,” according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which said the vessel sustained damage but all crew members were uninjured.
Big picture: A US official previously played down the prospect of escalation following recent strikes in the region, telling CNN they do not reflect a return to major combat operations — at least for now.
This post has been updated with additional developments from the region.
Israel strikes Lebanon a day after agreeing to withdraw some troops
Israel’s military carried out a drone attack in southern Lebanon Saturday, a day after agreeing to withdraw some troops from the region, highlighting the fragility of a ceasefire between the two countries.
An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) official told CNN the strike was aimed at eliminating a threat to its troops.
The attack underscores the challenges that remain in securing an enduring peace agreement in Lebanon, where the IDF has been waging a sustained war against the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, further complicating peace talks between Washington and Tehran.
Under a US-brokered deal, Israel has agreed to withdraw troops from areas north and south of the Litani River, transferring the sites to the Lebanese military. Both Lebanon and Israel framed the agreement as a first step, with each claiming victory for their respective countries.
Hezbollah, meanwhile, has rejected the deal. In a lengthy statement Saturday, the group’s Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem said the agreement was “a squandering of Lebanon’s sovereignty.”
Eyad Kourdi and Eugenia Yosef contributed reporting to this post.
US expands maritime route near Oman, suggesting a push back on Iran’s control of the strait
This week’s developments mark the latest in a series of back-and-forth strikes centered around the Strait of Hormuz, casting uncertainty over the US-Iran agreement signed earlier this month, which stipulates the gradual restoration of normal marine traffic.
The Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC), which is overseen by the US Navy, raised the threat level in the strait to “substantial” on Saturday, a step it said it took following attacks on merchant vessels.
Meanwhile, a route through the Strait of Hormuz near Oman has been expanded to allow for greater passage of marine traffic in both directions, the JMIC said, suggesting the US is pushing back at Iran’s control over the waterway.
The US military released video of its Friday strikes against Iran
Iran’s reported attacks on US military targets in the Middle East come after US strikes around the Strait of Hormuz on Friday.
US Central Command has released video of the Friday strikes, which it said targeted Iranian missile and drone storage locations and coastal radar sites.
Iran says it hit US targets in the Middle East
Iran said it has struck US military targets in the Middle East region in response to US strikes around the Strait of Hormuz as tensions over the key waterway strain a peace deal between the two nations.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said Saturday that it targeted US military positions, Iranian state media Press TV reported, with the foreign ministry accusing the US of violating their agreement. The US military has not confirmed any strikes but the exchanges are the first since the memorandum of understanding was signed last week.
CNN has reached out to the White House and CENTCOM for comment.
Bahrain, which hosts a US military base, reported Iranian drone attacks on its territory early Saturday morning. The country’s foreign affairs ministry condemned the strikes as “a flagrant violation of Bahrain’s sovereignty.” The target was unclear and there has been no initial comment from Tehran.
This map shows the key shipping lane at center of the latest tensions
Iran says it has struck US military targets in the Middle East, in response to US strikes on Friday against Iranian sites around the Strait of Hormuz.
Those US strikes came after Tehran’s Thursday attack against a commercial vessel near the key waterway, according to US Central Command.
