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TRUCE TESTED

U.S., Iran trade weekend strikes, testing fragile peace deal

The U.S. struck Iranian military assets after Tehran targeted two oil tankers; Iran responded with strikes on U.S. military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain

ATTA KENARE / AFP via Getty Images

Explosions erupt following strikes at Tehran Oil Refinery in Tehran on March 7, 2026.

The U.S. and Iran traded strikes over the weekend, testing the fragile memorandum of understanding signed between the countries earlier this month.

The U.S. first accused Iran of violating the ceasefire after it launched drone attacks on a Singapore-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had earlier issued a warning to commercial vessels “to strictly refrain from any movement outside the designated routes,” which are in parts of the waterway that it controls.

In a “powerful response” to Iran’s “unwarranted aggression,” CENTCOM said, the U.S. struck Iranian missile and drone storage locations and coastal radar sites on Friday. 

On Saturday, CENTCOM said Iran was “given [another] chance to honor the ceasefire agreement but elected not to” when it launched another one-way attack drone on a Panama-flagged oil tanker earlier that morning. In retaliation, the U.S. targeted Iranian military surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air-defense sites, drone storage facilities and minelayer capabilities, CENTCOM said.

President Donald Trump sounded his frustration in a post on Truth Social on Saturday, writing, “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” in Iran. “If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist!”

After the U.S. strikes, the governments of Bahrain and Kuwait said they were targeted by Iranian drone and missile attacks, which the IRGC said were attempted strikes on U.S. military bases in the country. 

The IRGC added in its statement that vessels violating Iran’s instruction in the Strait of Hormuz “will be dealt with even more forcefully” and that U.S. bases in the region will be “experiencing hell” in the coming days.

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