New exchange of fire with Iran in Gulf tests fragile ceasefire

Cairo, Jun 6: Iran fired ballistic missiles and drones toward Bahrain and Kuwait early Saturday, Bahrain's government said, adding that they were intercepted. It called on Tehran to immediately cease attacks on Gulf neighbours that it deemed a “serious escalation." Iran's foreign ministry said the US early Saturday attacked surveillance facilities on Qeshm Island and near Sirik that it said were used to protect borders and “ensure the security of navigation in international waters." Tehran called the attack a violation of the fragile ceasefire. The latest exchange of fire came as the Trump administration pressed Iran to make a deal to end the war that has strained the global economy and threatened a hunger crisis in some of the world's most vulnerable countries. Iran said it targeted the US military The US military earlier said it shot down several Iranian missiles and drones launched toward the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf Arab allies, and struck some of the Islamic Republic's coastal surveillance radar sites in response. “The attack drones posed an immediate threat to regional maritime traffic,” US Central Command said on social media. It confirmed it hit radar sites, including an island in the strait, “to defend against further attacks.” Iran's Revolutionary Guard said it targeted the Ali Al Salem air base, which hosts US forces in Kuwait, and the US Navy's 5th Fleet in Bahrain, according to the state-run IRNA news agency. The US military said there were no reports of harm to US personnel. Earlier in the week, Iranian drones heavily damaged a passenger terminal at Kuwait's main airport, killing one person and wounding dozens. The US military kept up its blockade on Iranian ports in response to Tehran's chokehold on the crucial corridor for global oil and natural gas shipments, which has sent energy prices spiking...