U.S. and Iran Exchange Fire as Situation Deteriorates Further

U.S. Central Command via AP

The United States and Iran exchanged fresh fire on Tuesday amid a ceasefire and what President Donald Trump has described as ongoing negotiations.

U.S. Central Command posted a public statement following videos popping up from the region showing Iranian missiles being launched and intercepted.

According to the statement, U.S. forces successfully intercepted multiple missiles, but also conducted “self-defense strikes on Qeshm Island in response to attempted attacks by Iran across the Middle East.”

CENTCOM said Iran targeted “regional neighbors,” but no missiles hit their intended targets. They called out Iran’s “unwarranted” aggression during a ceasefire agreement.

Check out the statement below:

U.S. forces successfully defeated multiple Iranian ballistic missiles and drones, and conducted self-defense strikes on Qeshm Island in response to attempted attacks by Iran across the Middle East, June 2.

Iran launched several ballistic missiles toward regional neighbors; however, all failed to hit their intended targets. Two Iranian missiles fired at Kuwait fell short or broke apart enroute, and three missiles launched at Bahrain were immediately intercepted by U.S. and Bahrain air defense forces.

Moments earlier, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces shot down three one-way attack drones launched by Iran toward civilian mariners that were rightfully transiting regional waters. American forces also conducted self-defense strikes on an Iranian military ground control station on Qeshm Island.

No U.S. personnel were harmed. CENTCOM forces remain vigilant and ready to defend against unwarranted Iranian aggression during the ongoing ceasefire.

In a followup statement, CENTCOM blasted Iran, claiming they “struck U.S. 5th Fleet headquarters in Bahrain and a U.S. air base in the region with missiles and drones today.”

“TRUTH: All Iranian attacks on American forces failed. U.S. forces remain vigilant and ready to defend against unwarranted Iranian aggression,” their statement reads.

U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have previously called out Iran and accused the country of targeting and charging tolls to ships in the Strait of Hormuz, where roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply moves through, amid the ceasefire.

Trump lashed out on Tuesday over “fake news reports” suggesting negotiations with Iran have stalled.

“Fake News Reports that the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the U.S.A., stopped speaking a few days ago are false and erroneous,” he wrote on Truth Social. “The conversations between us have been going on continuously, including four days ago, three days ago, two days ago, one day ago, and today. Where they lead, one never knows, but as I told Iran, ‘It’s time, one way or another, for you to make a Deal. You’ve been doing this for 47 years, and it cannot be allowed to go on any longer!'”

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