US says Iran launched ‘egregious ceasefire violation,’ testing fragile truce

U.S. Central Command criticized Iran for an “egregious ceasefire violation” on Thursday, the latest test for a shaky truce as peace talks between Washington and Tehran progress slowly.

Iran launched a ballistic missile toward Kuwait on Wednesday evening that was intercepted by Kuwaiti forces, CENTCOM said in a post on X. Iranian forces also launched five one-way attack drones “that posed a clear threat” around the Strait of Hormuz, all of which were intercepted by the U.S.

“U.S. Central Command and regional partners remain vigilant and measured as we continue to defend our forces and interests from unjustified Iranian aggression,” the agency said on social media.

The Iranian launch followed airstrikes carried out Wednesday by U.S. forces in southern Iran that struck a military site that reportedly posed a threat to civilian vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement to the state-run IRNA news agency that the missile launch came in response to that “aggression” by U.S. forces.

The exchange came days after American forces announced they had launched “self-defense strikes” into southern Iran, targeting “missile launch sites and Iranian boats attempting to emplace mines,” according to a CENTCOM spokesperson.

The spate of military strikes comes even as the White House projects confidence that a deal to end the three-month-long war is near. President Donald Trump announced Saturday on Truth Social that a peace agreement “has been largely negotiated,” with only the “final aspects” left for discussion.

Those talks could take “a few more days,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in India on Tuesday.

During a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Trump again expressed optimism that a deal will be reached soon but also warned that “maybe we have to go back and finish it” with military might instead of diplomatic negotiations.

About 50,000 U.S. troops remain stationed in the Middle East, scattered throughout regional bases and naval vessels in the waterways around Iran. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday said those personnel remain ready to resume hostilities if called upon.

المصدر: Politico