Iran launched new attacks on U.S. military facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain on Sunday.
Iran’s war costs reach $132 billion to U.S. consumers as ceasefire remains shaky
The Iran war is costing Americans $132 billion, as gas prices, Strait of Hormuz tensions, and an uneasy ceasefire keep markets on edge.
WASHINGTON – Tensions in the Middle East continued to rise on June 28, with Iran targeting U.S. military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, reigniting hostilities in the region for the fourth day in a row.
The escalation of attacks further undermined an increasingly tenuous interim agreement between the United States and Iran to end the war.
Despite progress made in peace talks in Switzerland a week ago, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps announced that the ceasefire violation had brought “a complete halt to all diplomatic processes.” President Donald Trump also issued new annihilation threats against Iran’s leadership and perhaps Iran itself.
“It’s very likely they will never learn,” he warned in a social media post.
“There may come a time when we will no longer be able to maintain reason and be forced to finish militarily the job we have successfully begun,” Trump wrote. “If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will cease to exist!”
The latest escalation occurred after Iranian forces attacked a Panamanian-flagged tanker with an attack drone around 4:30 a.m. ET on June 27. The tanker was carrying more than 2 million barrels of crude oil near the Strait of Hormuz, US Central Command said.
The military said Iran “had been given the opportunity to abide by the ceasefire agreement” following the U.S. retaliatory attack the day before, but after the latest attack on a commercial ship, it “chose not to abide by the ceasefire agreement.” In response, U.S. aircraft struck multiple military targets, including surveillance infrastructure, communications systems, air defense facilities, drone storage facilities, and mine-laying capabilities, Centcom said.
Commercial shipping under stress
On June 27, Britain’s Maritime Trade Operations Agency reported that a tanker was hit by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, damaging a bridge but that all crew members were safe. The Joint Maritime Information Center has also raised its security threat level following recent attacks.
The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s busiest energy transport corridors, remains a focus of tensions since fighting broke out between the United States, Israel and Iran earlier this year. Commercial traffic has resumed under a cease-fire, but repeated attacks on commercial ships have threatened efforts to restore normal shipping through the waterway.
Israel kills Hezbollah militant
In Lebanon, Israel said on June 28 that it had killed a Hezbollah militant armed with a rocket-propelled grenade and a rocket launcher. There was no immediate response from Hezbollah.
Lebanon and Israel, which is not party to the U.S.-Iran deal, have repeatedly agreed to U.S.-brokered ceasefires, the most recent of which took place several days ago.
But its effectiveness has been limited because Israel insists it will not withdraw from occupied Lebanese territory and Hezbollah has repeatedly rejected calls to lay down its arms as long as Israeli forces remain there.
contribution: Reuters
Zachary Schermele is USA TODAY’s Congressional Correspondent. You can email us at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and on Bluesky at @zachschermele.bsky.social..
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