[ANALYSIS] Iranian War Day 96: US-Iran contacts continue as military exchanges escalate across the Gulf

OVERVIEW Military exchanges escalated across the Gulf, with Iran and the US reporting strikes against each other's assets. US President Trump said reports that US-Iran communications had stopped were false and that conversations had continued continuously. US Secretary of State Rubio said Iran has mined large segments of the Strait of Hormuz, while negotiations remain highly technical and complicated. Lebanon ceasefire talks continued, although key differences remain unresolved. MILITARY DEVELOPMENTS Explosions were heard near Qeshm Island in Iran. Kuwait said its air defences intercepted hostile missile and drone attacks. Reports stated two US bases in Kuwait were targeted, with explosions reported at Ali al-Salem and Arifjan. Kuwait’s General Civil Aviation Authority said an emergency plan at Kuwait International Airport was activated after Terminal 1 was targeted by Iranian drones and missiles. Air raid sirens sounded in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Explosions were reported in Saudi Arabia. Explosions were heard in Qamishli, Syria. Earlier reports noted explosions in Iraqi Kurdistan targeting the headquarters of anti-Iranian separatist groups. US US CENTCOM said Iran launched several ballistic missiles toward neighbouring countries. CENTCOM said US forces defeated multiple Iranian missiles. CENTCOM said US forces conducted self-defence strikes against an Iranian military ground control station on Qeshm Island. CENTCOM said three Iranian one-way attack drones targeting civilian maritime traffic were shot down. CENTCOM denied IRGC claims that Iran successfully struck the Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain or a US airbase in the region. CENTCOM said all Iranian attacks on US forces failed. CENTCOM said US aircraft disabled a Botswana-flagged oil tanker attempting to sail toward an Iranian port by striking its engine room with a Hellfire missile. IRAN IRGC said the US attacked Qeshm Island and that Iran responded with precise and intensive missile strikes on US bases in Kuwait. IRGC warned that any further US aggression would be met with a seismic, crushing and decisive response. IRGC said the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain was attacked by missiles and drones. IRGC said it targeted a US-affiliated vessel named Panaya with missiles. IRGC said the attack was retaliation for the US targeting an IRGC communications tower on Qeshm Island. An Iranian senior political source told Amwaj Media that communication with the US through intermediaries had not stopped. The source said Qatar and other regional intermediaries were working intensively to prevent a renewed escalation linked to Lebanon. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Gharibabadi said Iran would take proportionate measures if Israel continues strikes in Lebanon. NEGOTIATIONS US President Trump said communications between Washington and Tehran remain ongoing. Trump said reports that Iran and the US stopped speaking were false and that conversations had been ongoing continuously. An Iranian senior political source cited by Amwaj Media said there had been no halt in communications through intermediaries. The source said activity across several diplomatic tracks suggested significant developments could be approaching. US Secretary of State Rubio said nuclear negotiations are highly complicated and technical and will take time. COMMENTARY Trump said, “Where they lead, one never knows, but as I told Iran, ‘It’s time, one way or another, for you to make a Deal.’” ABC News reported Trump is pushing Iran to make firmer nuclear commitments and wants nuclear concessions in writing. US Secretary of State Rubio said Iran has mined large segments of the Strait of Hormuz. Rubio said the war with Iran has made interactions with Tehran more complicated. Rubio also stated that the “war in Iran is over”. The US issued fresh Iran-related sanctions. ISRAEL / LEBANON Sky News Arabia, citing a Lebanese source, reported that Israel and Lebanon had not yet reached decisive points regarding a ceasefire. Sources said US forces would train and equip the Lebanese army. An Israeli official said there was American approval for Israeli forces to remain inside the security zone in southern Lebanon. The official added that there were not necessarily restrictions on Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah said it would not accept a partial ceasefire deal with Israel. Hezbollah carried out a drone strike on an Israeli command post in southern Lebanon, reportedly wounding eight Israeli soldiers. Israeli artillery shelling was reported in the town of Blat in southern Lebanon.