Italian media reveals both sides suspend communication, U.S. insists negotiations are still ongoing, U.S. and Iran attack each other again.

【Global Times Special Correspondent Wang Yi】On the 2nd, the United States and Iran launched mutual strikes once again. The U.S. Central Command stated on social media on the 2nd local time that Iran had launched missiles towards Kuwait and Bahrain. The Iranian Tasnim News Agency reported on the 3rd, citing a statement from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, that in response to multiple acts of aggression by the United States, it had carried out retaliatory missile and drone strikes against the U.S. Fifth Fleet headquarters and other U.S. military targets. The statement also accused the U.S. military of attacking an Iran-related tanker near the Strait of Hormuz on the 2nd. Just a day earlier, U.S. President Trump had expressed optimism that an agreement between the U.S. and Iran could be reached within the week.

Iran: U.S. military attack on tanker is "act of aggression"

The statement from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps on the 2nd indicated that due to the U.S. military's attack on Iranian-related tankers, the naval forces of the Revolutionary Guard used missiles to strike a vessel associated with the U.S. and Israel. The U.S. military subsequently conducted airstrikes on a communication station of the Revolutionary Guard located on Iran's Qeshm Island, while the aerospace forces of the Revolutionary Guard targeted the U.S. Fifth Fleet headquarters and a U.S. airbase in a certain Middle Eastern country with missiles and drones in response.

According to the Tasnim News Agency, the statement also condemned the U.S. military's attack on Iranian tankers as an "act of aggression." The statement reiterated that actions undermining the security of the Strait of Hormuz would come at a heavy cost to the U.S. military.

The statement from the U.S. Central Command on the 2nd claimed that the missiles launched by Iran towards Kuwait and Bahrain did not hit their targets. Specifically, two missiles aimed at Kuwait failed to reach the target area or disintegrated during flight; three missiles aimed at Bahrain were intercepted by U.S. and Bahraini air defense forces. The U.S. military denied that the Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain or a U.S. base in the region was hit by Iranian missiles and drones. The U.S. Central Command also stated that U.S. forces shot down three one-way attack drones launched by Iran, which were targeting civilian vessels.

Bahrain and Kuwait condemn Iran

The Bahraini military on the 3rd attributed these attacks to Iran and its "systematic hostile actions," stating that the country's armed forces would remain on high alert, and all combat units were prepared to respond.

The spokesperson for the Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense condemned Iran's missile and drone attacks on the 3rd. Reports indicated that the attacks resulted in one death and multiple injuries in Kuwait, as well as damage to facilities at Kuwait International Airport. The Kuwaiti Civil Aviation Authority announced the same day that the attacks severely damaged airport facilities and operational systems, leading to injuries, and Kuwait temporarily halted air traffic and closed its airspace in response to the current situation.

“This is the latest round of attacks jeopardizing the fragile ceasefire.” U.S. CNBC reported that as the U.S. and Iran repeatedly failed to turn the fragile ceasefire into a lasting peace agreement, the conflict in the Middle East has become stagnant.

According to the Iranian Fars News Agency, after the U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreement took effect, both sides held intermittent negotiations. Tehran emphasized that it would not accept any agreement unless the rights of the Iranian people were effectively guaranteed. Iranian officials stated that Trump has no good options in his policy towards Iran and can only choose between "bad" and "worse."

Trump denies negotiations have stalled

Fars News Agency reported that sources revealed that communications aimed at reaching a preliminary memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran had been "paused for at least several days," with the last message sent by Iran before the pause related to the situation in Lebanon. A knowledgeable source involved in the mediation told the Associated Press that Iran did not communicate with the U.S. on the 2nd.

However, according to U.S. media reports, Trump denied the news of stalled negotiations. He posted on social media on the 2nd that reports from Iran regarding the interruption of negotiations were "false and incorrect," asserting that dialogue was ongoing. Nevertheless, Trump also stated that time was running out for Iran.

During a hearing held by the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the 2nd, Secretary of State Rubio expressed optimistic remarks, stating that an agreement with Iran was imminent, and that the Iranian regime had "agreed" to negotiate on certain aspects of its nuclear program.         

Iranian news television quoted the views of Khosravi, a member of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, stating that the U.S. claims a ceasefire while its actions contradict that ceasefire. Foad Izadi, an analyst of international affairs in Tehran, believes that the U.S. is trying to normalize its attacks on Iran. The U.S. is launching attacks every day, and Iran is retaliating every day; however, U.S. officials still claim that both sides are in a state of ceasefire, "because if they admit that they are no longer in a state of ceasefire, then the 60-day withdrawal ceasefire deadline for 'unauthorized use of military force' will start counting down again."