Bahrain condemned an Iranian drone attack on Saturday, following overnight US strikes on Iran. The attack, which involved a "number of drones" launched at the country, did not result in any immediate reports of damage, according to Bahrain's foreign ministry. The ministry described the assault as a "flagrant threat to the security of citizens and residents."
Drone attack on ship in Strait of Hormuz
Separately, a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz was also attacked, though no damage or casualties were reported. No group claimed responsibility, but Iran was suspected. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps earlier said it had targeted several sites of the "US terrorist army in the region," without specifying locations. Bahrain hosts the US Navy's Fifth Fleet.
US retaliatory strikes
The US military said it struck Iranian missile and drone locations overnight, along with coastal radar sites, in response to an Iranian drone attack on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz. These tit-for-tat strikes marked the first violence between the US and Iran since a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed last week—the first such agreement since Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution. The MOU extended a fragile ceasefire and set a 60-day window for talks to achieve lasting peace.
Strait of Hormuz tensions
Many gaps remain between the two sides, with the Strait of Hormuz a key obstacle. US President Donald Trump is keen to reopen the waterway amid high energy prices and upcoming midterm elections. The strait was effectively closed by Iran during the war, and its status is being negotiated with Oman and other mediators. A multinational maritime body supervised by the US Navy said on Saturday it would expand a route near Oman to increase traffic, threatening Iran's leverage.
The International Maritime Organisation stopped evacuating stranded ships from the strait on Friday, saying it would not resume until guarantees against attacks were provided. It had evacuated about 115 ships in recent days, while other tankers remain stuck. Iran has threatened to charge tolls for ships using the waterway, but the US and Gulf states reject its attempts to control the international waterway.
US Vice-President's warning
US Vice-President JD Vance, central to negotiations with Iran, said on Friday night that Iran should "pick up the phone" in disagreements, warning that "violence will be met with violence."
Hezbollah rejects Lebanon-Israel framework
In Lebanon, Hezbollah rejected a framework agreement reached Friday in Washington between Israel and the Lebanese government. Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem described the 14-point agreement as a surrender to Israel, calling it "null and void." He accused the Lebanese government of making needless concessions that undermine sovereignty. The document outlines a phased Israeli withdrawal from south Lebanon, replaced by Lebanese army soldiers tasked with preventing Hezbollah's return and dismantling its infrastructure. Israel occupies over 600 sq km of south Lebanon, has demolished dozens of villages, and displaced over a million residents. Disarmament of Hezbollah is a prerequisite for Israeli withdrawal. Despite disagreements, a US-brokered ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel has mostly held, though Israel conducted a drone strike on Saturday in the Nabatieh area, targeting an individual it claimed posed a threat.
Iran links ceasefires
Iran has linked the durability of the Lebanon ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal to the success of peace talks with the US, a linkage Israel and the US resist.
