US strikes Iran for second straight night after alleged Hormuz tanker attack, ceasefire teeters

According to the US military, Iran allegedly struck the tanker KIKU, which was carrying around two million barrels of crude oil, while it was passing through the strategic waterway.

The vessel sustained damage, but all crew members were reported safe.

The latest US operation came a day after Washington targeted Iranian missile and drone facilities over a separate alleged attack on a commercial cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.

US targets 10 Iranian military sites

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Saturday's operation targeted 10 sites across Iran, including surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defence positions, drone storage facilities and minelayer capabilities.

CENTCOM also released a 38-second video on X showing footage of the military strikes.

In a statement, the command said Iran had been given "a chance to honor the ceasefire agreement" following Friday's US response but instead "elected not to" after launching what it described as a one-way attack drone that struck the tanker KIKU.

Despite the renewed military action, CENTCOM said commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remained operational, adding that US forces were "vigilant, lethal and ready" to respond to any further threats.

Trump issues fresh warning to Iran

US President Donald Trump issued a stern warning to Tehran, saying Iran risked destruction if Washington was forced to resume full-scale military operations.

"United States aircraft just struck Iranian missile and drone storage locations, and coastal radar sites, for violating the Cease Fire Agreement, AGAIN!" Trump wrote on Truth Social.

"It is very possible that they will never learn! 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," he added.

Iran threatens US bases in the Gulf

Iran responded with a warning of its own, saying American military bases across the Gulf region would "experience hell" in the coming days.

The commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said US strikes near Sirik along the Strait of Hormuz would not weaken Iran's control over the strategic waterway.

"American blind shots at Sirik do not solve the mystery of our control over the Strait of Hormuz. Our strikes at violators remind other vessels of the terms of passage through the strait," the commander said.

"The reckoning for American bases in the region is a separate matter. They will experience hell in the coming days," he added, according to Reuters.

Conflict spreads across the Gulf

The latest escalation has heightened tensions across the Middle East, with Iran claiming it carried out retaliatory strikes against US military facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had destroyed eight key US military installations, including facilities at the Ali al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait and the US Navy's Fifth Fleet headquarters in Port Salman, Bahrain.

"Any enemy aggression, whatever the pretext, even against insignificant targets, will have a crushing response," the Guards said.

Kuwait, however, said its air defence systems were intercepting incoming missiles and drones.

"The General Staff of the Army notes that if explosion sounds are heard, they are the result of air defence systems intercepting the hostile attacks," the Kuwaiti Army said in a post on X.

Sirens sounded across parts of Kuwait and Bahrain as authorities urged residents to remain calm and move to the nearest safe location.

Ceasefire under fresh strain

The back-to-back US strikes and Iran's retaliatory threats have pushed the already fragile ceasefire agreement to the edge of collapse, casting fresh uncertainty over diplomatic efforts aimed at preventing a broader regional war.

The renewed hostilities have also raised concerns over the security of commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important energy corridors, even as the US military insists maritime traffic continues uninterrupted.