The US and Iran have exchanged fresh missiles and drone strikes, further jeopardising efforts by Washington to secure a new ceasefire agreement with Tehran.

US forces fired a Hellfire missile to disable a tanker attempting to break through the American blockade of the strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, and later said they repelled Iranian reprisal attacks in the region and attacked sites on Iran’s Qeshm Island.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said it attacked the US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain with missiles and drones in response to the strike on Qeshm, a claim the US military’s Central Command (Centcom) denied.

The latest exchange of fire began when Centcom said it targeted an unladen tanker – Botswana-flagged M/T Lexie – on Tuesday. Centcom said aircraft fired a missile to disable the tankers engine, as it passed through international waters toward Iran’s Kharg Island, north of the strait near Kuwait, after the crew ignored repeated warnings over a 24-hour period.

Soon after, Kuwait’s military later said its air defences were intercepting missile and drone attacks and urged the public “not to approach or touch any debris, shrapnel, or unidentified objects that may result from intercepting hostile aerial targets”. Sirens also sounded in Bahrain.

Centcom said two Iranian missiles fired at Kuwait “fell short or broke apart enroute”, and that three missiles targeting Bahrain were intercepted by US and Bahrain. It later added that it defended against a fresh wave of drones targeting US forces in Kuwait and that no personnel were harmed.

US forces also said they shot down three one-way attack drones “launched by Iran toward civilian mariners that were rightfully transiting regional waters” but gave no further details.

American forces also conducted strikes on an Iranian military ground control station on Qeshm Island.

The latest exchange of strikes underline the lack of political progress in resolving the Middle East crisis, despite upbeat claims by US secretary of state Marco Rubio in his first appearance before the Senate foreign relations committee since the US and Israel launched their war on Iran

Rubio reiterated claims on Tuesday that a deal with Tehran was within reach, and claimed the regime had agreed to negotiate aspects of its nuclear program that it had refused to discuss even a month ago.

His comments come in direct contrast to the messaging from Iran, which has indicated it will suspend peace talks with the US in protest against Israel’s offensive in Lebanon, threatening the collapse of negotiations with Washington.

The Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said: “The ceasefire between Iran and the US is unequivocally a ceasefire on all fronts, including in Lebanon. Its violation on one front is a violation of the ceasefire on all fronts. The US and Israel are responsible for the consequences of any violation.”

Israeli warplanes have launched dozens of strikes across southern Lebanon despite a new agreement supposedly brokered by Donald Trump aiming to bolster the tattered ceasefire in Lebanon.

The US president said on Monday that he had stopped an imminent Israeli strike on Beirut and that he had spoken to Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and representatives of Hezbollah and both agreed that “all shooting will stop”.

But on Tuesday, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported 30 Israeli strikes across the south. Near the city of Sidon, rescuers recovered the bodies of six members of the same family, including two children and a woman, after an Israeli strike.

The Israeli military also issued a new evacuation warning for the southern city of Nabatiyeh before new strikes, accusing the “Hezbollah terror organisation” of violating the ceasefire.

The Lexie is the sixth ship that the US military has disabled since its blockade of Iran began on 13 April. The US military said it had so far redirected 122 vessels that were seeking to enter or exit Iranian ports.

On the weekend, US forces hit Iranian radar and drone sites, to which Tehran responded by targeting a military base in Kuwait that it claimed was involved in the US operation.

The Guardian With Reuters

Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf threatened to halt negotiations and confront Israel if its military operations in Lebanon continue, amid heightened regional tensions.

Ghalibaf said he had phone call with Nabih Berri, speaker of Lebanon’s parliament, in which emphasised solidarity with Hezbollah and Lebanese allies. “If the Zionist regime’s crimes in Lebanon persist, we will not only stop the talks but will stand against them,” he posted on X.

He concluded with chants of “Long live the resistance! Long live the defense of the motherland! Long live the brotherhood of the Iranian and Lebanese nations!”

The statement comes against the backdrop of Israel’s ongoing campaign against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, part of broader 2026 hostilities that have included direct Iran-Israel exchanges.

Iran has long provided support to the Hezbollah, the powerful Iran-backed militia that has long operated as a “state within a state”.

The group, listed as a terrorist organisation by the UAE, the GCC, the US, the UK and several other countries, is a key proxy in Iran’s narrative of “axis of resistance” against Israel.

Ghalibaf, a prominent hard-liner and former IRGC commander, plays a key role in Iran’s strategic messaging and past ceasefire talks. His remarks underscore Tehran’s willingness to escalate support for allies despite diplomatic pressures.

GN

Iran’s chief negotiator has warned the US cannot be trusted, saying Tehran will not accept any deal unless its rights are fully secured. The comments come amid reports of a tougher revised US proposal sent by President Donald Trump. According to Iran’s Tasnim news agency, both sides are still exchanging amendments to the draft, with no final agreement reached. Any changes could further delay efforts to end the Middle East conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz after weeks of tense talks. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that “until a clear conclusion is reached… everything being said now is speculation,” according to state media. Follow our live coverage for the latest updates.

07:22 AM, 1 June 2026

US responds with self-defence strikes after Iranian aggression

CENTCOM said the ‘measured and deliberate’ strikes took place on Saturday and Sunday in response to what it described as aggressive Iranian actions, including the downing of a US MQ-1 drone operating over international waters.

According to CENTCOM, US fighter aircraft responded by destroying Iranian air defence systems, a ground control station, and two one-way attack drones that it said posed a threat to ships transiting regional waters.

No US personnel were injured in the operation.

CENTCOM added that it will continue to protect US assets and interests in response to what it called “unwarranted Iranian aggression” during the ongoing ceasefire.

07:05 AM, 1 June 2026

Kuwait air defences currently intercepting missiles, drones

The General Staff of the Kuwaiti Army says the country’s air defences are currently intercepting hostile missile and drone attacks.

Authorities said any explosion sounds being heard are the result of air defence systems engaging and intercepting incoming threats.

Officials have urged the public to strictly follow all security and safety instructions issued by the relevant authorities as the situation develops.

04:07 AM, 1 June 2026

Denied: Reports of Iranian President Pezeshkian’s resignation

In a swift rebuttal to circulating rumours, sources close to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s office firmly denied reports of his resignation.

The denial, amplified by Iran’s official channels and state-affiliated media like Tasnim News, comes as the country navigates a fragile ceasefire with the United States following months of intense conflict.

President Pezeshkian, 71, a reformist politician and former heart surgeon, appeared in a newly released video from the official presidency website, projecting resolve.

Seated at a formal meeting with advisors, the reformist leader emphasised his commitment to advancing Iran’s “progress and prosperity” despite ongoing challenges.

03:28 AM, 1 June 2026

Iran reopens 50 access points at 18 missile sites

Amid instense US-Iran talks and renewed tensions, new satellite imagery suggests Iranian crews are already moving bulldozers and dump trucks into damaged underground missile and nuclear-linked sites, rapidly clearing debris and reopening access routes.

The images, as reported by CNN, highlight a stark reality of modern warfare: even after precision strikes and advanced bunker-buster munitions, efforts are ongoing to restore critical infrastructure hit by previous US-Israeli bombings.

03:07 AM, 1 June 2026

Crude oil rises 2% on renewed bullish sentiment driven by geopolitical tensions

Crude oil just woke up with serious attitude this Monday morning (June 1, 2026).

As Asian markets kicked off the new trading week, WTI Crude blasted higher to $89.41, jumping $2.05 (+2.35%), while benchmark Brent Crude powered up to $93.03, gaining $1.91 (+2.10%), as of 8.07 am in Tokyo trading. 

Energy traders keeping an out on the demand side while assessing signs of improving economic activity in Asia and North America, are bullish as both major contracts punched through key levels in early sessions.

02:24 AM, 1 June 2026

Iran President Pezeshkian ‘resigns’, cites growing IRGC control: Report

Reports indicate that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has formally submitted a resignation letter to the office of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, according to Iran International.

The report, which cites a source familiar with the matter, says Pezeshkian argued that Iran’s elected government has been increasingly sidelined as hardline factions within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) expand their influence over key state decisions.

According to the reported contents of the letter, Pezeshkian stated that the presidency and civilian government have effectively been excluded from major decision-making processes, leaving him unable to carry out his constitutional responsibilities.

The report describes the situation as evidence of a widening power struggle between civilian institutions and military-security centers within the Islamic Republic.

The reported resignation underscores a deeper issue: even the restricted authority traditionally granted to Iran’s civilian government may be shrinking further as military-security factions consolidate influence.

Whether the resignation is accepted — or whether the report is officially confirmed — remains unclear.

On May 7, 2026 President Pezeshkian he had met Mojtaba Khamenei in person and spoken with him for two and a half hours, in the first public confirmation that the Islamic Republic’s new ayatollah has been seen by a senior official since his appointment more than two months ago, Iranian and European media sources reported then.

Gulf News