Hostilities flare again in Iran war, talks at a stalemate

Gulf hostilities flared anew on Wednesday (Jun 3), with the US military saying Iranian missile attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait and other regional targets were either thwarted or failed as diplomacy between Washington and Tehran showed little progress.



Two Iranian missiles shot at Kuwait fell short or broke apart in flight, several ballistic missiles aimed at regional targets failed, and three missiles heading for Bahrain were intercepted, US Central Command said.



Since the conflict began in late February, Iran has repeatedly attacked targets in Bahrain and Kuwait, where US military bases are located.



Central Command said US forces also downed Iranian drones targeting civilian shipping in regional waters and carried out strikes on Qeshm Island near the Strait of Hormuz in response to the attempted attacks by Iran.



This was the latest of several such flare-ups. More than three months after the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran, the conflict is stuck in a stalemate, with a shaky ceasefire in place while the Strait of Hormuz remains largely shut to maritime traffic.



Iran and the United States said last week that they had reached a tentative initial agreement to halt the war. But the two sides have yet to sign off on the deal.