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Iran shot down another United States drone over the Persian Gulf over the night of May 31 and June 1, triggering another clash with American forces.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement that it conducted “self-defense strikes” on Iranian radar and command and control sites for drones in Goruk, Iran and Qeshm Island after the drone, an MQ-1, was shot down over “international waters.”
“U.S. fighter aircraft swiftly responded by eliminating Iranian air defenses, a ground control station, and two one-way attack drones that posed clear threats to ships transiting regional waters, the command added.
The command noted that “no American service members were harmed,” stressing that it “will continue to protect U.S. assets and interests in response to unwarranted Iranian aggression during the ongoing ceasefire.”
Right after, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement of its own that its Aerospace Force targeted an air base that was used by the U.S. to launch strikes against a telecommunications tower on Sirik Island.
The retaliatory strikes destroyed pre-designated targets linked to the attack, according to the guards, who warned that any further military action by the U.S. would trigger what it described as a “completely different” response from the Islamic Republic.
Sirens sounded in Kuwait around the same time, with the Gulf state’s national news agency reporting that air defenses were engaging drones and missiles.
The target of the Iranian retaliatory strikes was reportedly Ali Al Salem Air Base. Located in the heart of Kuwait, the air base hosts the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing of the U.S. Air Force and other American military units. It is generally considered one of CENTCOM’s main hubs in the Middle East.
In a statement, Kuwait’s foreign ministry said that it holds Iran “fully responsible for these heinous attacks.” The ministry also cautioned that the attacks undermine efforts to reduce tensions in the region, and stressed that Kuwait has the right to take all necessary measures to defend its territory.
Amid this escalation, Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said that lack of trust between the Islamic Republic and the U.S. remains the main issue.
“Negotiations have started amid severe suspicion and mistrust, and the exchange of messages is taking place in this atmosphere,” Baghaei said.
“The other party is constantly changing its views and putting forward new or contradictory demands… it is natural that this situation will prolong negotiations,” he warned, adding that Tehran views Israeli actions in the region, including in Lebanon, as inseparable from the U.S.
U.S. President Donald Trump, from his side, remained optimistic. In a post to Truth Social, he said that Iran really wants to make a deal, and that it will be a good one for Washington and its allies.
“Iran really wants to make a deal, and it will be a good one for the U.S.A. and those that are with us,” Trump wrote.
He went on to lament the constant “chirping” by various politicians and commentators about the situation, which he claims is making it harder “to properly do my job.”
“Don’t the Dumocrats, and various seemingly unpatriotic Republicans, understand that it is MUCH tougher for me to properly do my job and negotiate, when political hacks keep negatively ‘chirping,’ at levels never seen before, over and over again, that I should move faster, or move slower, or go to war, or not go to war, or whatever. Just sit back and relax, it will all work out well in the end – It always does!” Trump added.
The past month saw several similar clashes between the U.S. and Iran, even after reports of progress in talks on a memorandum of understanding meant to end the war.
As pointed out by Baghaei, lack of trust remains the main issue, and Tehran in particular has every right to be wary of Washington. The U.S. military buildup in the Middle East is still ongoing, recent reports suggest that the Trump administration is still exploring military options, and Israel is openly trying to push for a return to fighting.
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