Washington: The United States has struck Iranian military sites over the weekend, with Iran's Revolutionary Guards responding by targeting a US base on Monday, marking the latest exchange of fire amid negotiations to end the three-month-old war.

US Central Command said the strikes on Iran's Gulf coast were in response to "aggressive Iranian actions that included the shootdown of a US MQ-1 drone that was operating over international waters." US fighter aircraft eliminated Iranian air defences, a ground control station, and two one-way attack drones that posed threats to ships transiting regional waters. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had targeted a US air base used for an attack on southern Iran, without identifying which base.

Meanwhile, air defences in Kuwait, where a major US base is located, were intercepting missile and drone attacks on Monday as sirens sounded across the country, according to state news agency KUNA. No further details were provided.

President Donald Trump has said his key aim is to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, though Tehran denies any such plans. Trump faces pressure to reopen the strait and lower gasoline prices ahead of congressional elections, while also navigating potential backlash from Iran hawks in his own party. The two sides remain at odds on several issues, including Tehran's demands for sanctions relief and the release of billions of dollars of frozen Iranian oil revenues. Israel's war in Lebanon with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia is another major impediment, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordering troops to move further into Lebanon. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has proposed a plan for "gradual de-escalation" between Israel and Lebanon.

Follow Rehaab Online on WhatsApp (Click here to join the group)