/Agencia Reuters
Iran and the United States continued their attacks in the Gulf while both accused each other of violating a provisional agreement signed less than two weeks ago to end a war that has already lasted four months.
Shortly after President Donald Trump warned that the United States could “militarily complete the job,” Iran launched missiles and drones against US military installations in Kuwait and Bahrain in the early hours of Sunday, prolonging a series of escalating attacks.
The US military had previously reported that it had again struck Iran, hours after an oil tanker was hit in the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important maritime route for energy transport, which Iran kept virtually blocked for most of the conflict.
The 14-point provisional agreement between the United States and Iran sought to stop the fighting — initiated by the United States and Israel on February 28 — and reopen the strait to maritime traffic while talks on deeper issues, such as the Iranian nuclear program, began.
A round of mediated talks, led by Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, was held in Switzerland a week ago, and Washington then lifted sanctions on Tehran. However, fighting and recriminations have resurfaced and intensified.
“There may come a point when we can no longer be reasonable and are forced to militarily complete the job we began so successfully,” Trump posted on social media.
“If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will cease to exist!” he added.
Approximately one hour after Trump’s post, the Kuwaiti military reported that its air defenses were responding to “hostile” missile and drone attacks, while sirens sounded in Bahrain, according to that country’s interior ministry.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated that its naval and air forces had launched joint operations with missiles and drones against US military installations in Kuwait and Bahrain, in response to recent US attacks on Iran.
A US official, confirming the attacks, noted that the situation was still developing, but that there were no reports of US casualties or major damage to US facilities in the Middle East.
US Central Command had earlier indicated that its forces had carried out new attacks after a Panamanian-flagged oil tanker was attacked by an Iranian drone on Saturday.
“Iran had the opportunity to respect the ceasefire agreement, but decided not to,” Central Command stated, adding that the attacks were “a direct response to continued Iranian aggression against commercial shipping” and had targeted Iranian military surveillance, communications, air defense, drone storage, and mining capabilities.
Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reported that explosions were heard in Sirik, southern Iran, without providing further details. The Revolutionary Guard Corps stated that “the United States’ blind firing in Sirik will not resolve our domination over the Strait of Hormuz.
Pero nuestros disparos contra los infractores recordarán al resto de los buques la ruta clara de paso”.
El ataque al petrolero del sábado en el estrecho siguió a otro contra un buque de carga el jueves, que desencadenó la última escalada. Irán busca afirmar su control sobre el estrecho, que antes de la guerra transportaba una quinta parte del petróleo y gas natural licuado del mundo, y que recién comenzaba a reabrirse tras meses de interrupción.
Cientos de buques, incluidos petroleros cargados de crudo, han estado bloqueados dentro del Golfo desde el inicio de la guerra. A medida que comenzaron a salir por el estrecho en las últimas dos semanas, los precios del petróleo han caído casi a niveles previos al conflicto debido al aumento de la oferta.
Washington ha promovido una ruta meridional a lo largo de la costa de Omán, mientras que Teherán —que aspira a cobrar tarifas por el uso del estrecho— quiere que los buques utilicen una ruta septentrional por sus aguas y bajo su control.
Más allá del Golfo, Irán acusa a Estados Unidos de violar su compromiso en el acuerdo de paz de mantener un alto el fuego en Líbano, país que el aliado estadounidense Israel invadió en marzo en persecución del grupo militante Hezbolá, respaldado por Irán.
Israel, que no es parte del acuerdo entre Estados Unidos e Irán, y Líbano han acordado repetidamente altos el fuego mediado por Washington, el último el viernes. Pero estos han tenido un efecto limitado, con Israel insistiendo en que no se retirará de los territorios libaneses que ha ocupado, y Hezbolá rechazando entregar sus armas mientras las tropas israelíes permanezcan en el lugar.
Con cientos de miles de libaneses, en su mayoría musulmanes chiíes, aún incapaces de regresar a sus hogares en las zonas ocupadas por Israel, la indignación por el acuerdo se ha extendido más allá de Hezbolá hacia la comunidad chií en general.
