Negotiations between the United States and Iran aimed at concluding the ongoing war faced severe new pressure on Sunday. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) declared that recent American strikes over the previous two days violated the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, warning that such actions would lead to a total cessation of all diplomatic processes. In a statement released through state-run media, the IRGC vowed that any vessels violating their terms would face a stronger and more crushing response than seen previously.
The weekend’s military escalation was sparked by a drone strike attributed to Iran against the Panama-flagged crude oil tanker M/T Kiku on Saturday, which had been transiting toward the UAE’s port of Fujairah. In response, US Central Command launched strikes against 10 Iranian military targets near the Strait of Hormuz, including air defense sites, drone storage facilities, minelaying capabilities, and surveillance infrastructure. Tehran retaliated by firing ballistic missiles and drones at the US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain and the Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait. While Bahrain’s Interior Ministry confirmed that Iranian strikes damaged a residential area near Bahrain International Airport, no fatalities occurred.
By Sunday evening, intensive US military flight activity over the Strait of Hormuz signaled potential preparations for additional strikes. Journalists in Doha observed US Air Force Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft departing from the capital to join other US assets circling the region, as tracked by Flightradar24. These flight patterns mirrored those seen during the Saturday night offensive, leaving the fragile ceasefire framework under significant strain. Reports from the Wall Street Journal indicated that the bilateral talks had stalled by Sunday.
US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz stated on Sunday that Washington would not remain idle while Iran attacks international shipping or American bases. He emphasized that the US military would continue to dismantle infrastructure used to illegally control international waterways. While Waltz noted that President Trump remains open to diplomacy, he warned that the president’s patience is not infinite. Meanwhile, IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebi described Washington as unreliable and deceitful, promising increasingly severe responses to any further violations.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi claimed that Iran retains full oversight of the Strait for the next 30 days under the existing framework deal. To reinforce this, Iranian state television provided specific safe transit routes for ships. Concurrently, the UKMTO raised the threat level in the Strait to substantial, citing ongoing naval clearance operations. A statement purportedly from Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei called for international legal action against US and Israeli leadership for alleged war crimes, specifically mentioning events in Minab and Lamerd.
The situation remains volatile, with adviser Mohammad Mokhber warning that any US attempt to exert control over the Strait would be a critical mistake. Adding to the gravity of the situation, Qatar’s Interior Ministry reported on Sunday that a Qatari national was killed and an Arab resident injured at sea due to shrapnel from the military operations. Despite these developments and the US Navy’s earlier challenge to Iranian transit authority via a widened shipping route, both nations appear to be maintaining some degree of restraint while continuing the difficult process of diplomatic engagement.
