US and Iran trade fresh strikes, testing fragile ceasefire

The US Central Command confirmed Iran launched a ballistic missile toward Kuwait overnight, which was intercepted. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated it had attacked an American air base, citing it as the source of recent US strikes. A US official said those strikes targeted Iranian drones and a launch site near the Strait of Hormuz. In Lebanon, Israel conducted airstrikes in Beirut, killing dozens of people according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. This marked the first strike in the city in weeks and followed Israel’s military issuing fresh evacuation warnings for southern Lebanese cities. US President Donald Trump warned Iran against attempting to outlast him, stating he would not be rushed into a deal and emphasizing his focus on the midterms. Meanwhile, Trump’s threat to ‘blow up’ Oman drew criticism, as the country has long served as a trusted intermediary between the US and Iran, hosting backchannel talks and negotiating prisoner releases on Washington’s behalf. Oman, known as the ‘Switzerland of the Middle East,’ maintains a neutral foreign policy shaped by its strategic location on the Arabian Sea and control of the Strait of Hormuz. Its diplomatic role became more complex after Omani Foreign Minister Sayyed Badr Albusaidi claimed negotiations between Tehran and Washington had made ‘substantial progress’ before the US-Israeli attack on Iran in February. Since the conflict escalated, Oman has criticized the war, with Albusaidi accusing Washington of losing control of its foreign policy. The escalation follows weeks of heightened tensions, with Iran and the US exchanging strikes while regional allies like Israel and Hezbollah engage in direct combat. The situation remains volatile, with Oman’s balancing act under increasing strain amid the broader conflict.