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US Strikes Iran, Drawing Retaliatory Attack on American Base

Vessels anchored at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, May 25, 2026. (Reuters).
Vessels anchored at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, May 25, 2026. (Reuters).
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US Strikes Iran, Drawing Retaliatory Attack on American Base

Vessels anchored at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, May 25, 2026. (Reuters).
Vessels anchored at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, May 25, 2026. (Reuters).

The United States struck southern Iran on Thursday, drawing retaliation from Tehran against a US military base, in the most serious clashes since an April ceasefire began.

The fighting threatened to jettison a fragile diplomatic push to forge a peace agreement and open the Strait of Hormuz, which has become a key point of contention in efforts to formally end the war.

The fresh fighting appeared to begin when Iranian forces fired at four ships attempting to cross the Strait, state broadcaster IRIB reported on Thursday.

US forces launched strikes that hit a ground control station in the southern port area of Bandar Abbas, a US official, speaking on condition of anonymity told AFP, prompting swift response by Iran.

"Following this morning's aggression by the invading US military against a location on the outskirts of Bandar Abbas Airport using aerial projectiles, the American air base that served as the source of the attack was targeted at 4:50 am (0120 GMT)," the Guards said, according to Iranian state broadcaster IRIB.

The Guards did not provide details on the location of the base, though Kuwait's military said its air defenses were responding to an "enemy" attack on Thursday.

The clashes threw into question talks aimed at formally ending the war that began on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

A key focus of the proposed deal has also been restoring full traffic to the Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran has effectively closed, leaving global energy markets grappling with curbed supplies of the huge amounts of oil and gas that normally pass through it.

Oil prices bounced higher on Thursday after reports of the strikes, reversing much of Wednesday's fall on the hopes of a possible imminent deal.

Fresh strikes were also reported in Lebanon, another front of the war.

Israel said it hit the southern city of Tyre, after warning it would take action against Iran-backed Hezbollah and declaring all areas south of the Zahrani River, which lies roughly 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the border, as "combat zones".

The United States Treasury also announced sanctions on Wednesday against Iran's Gulf Strait Authority, Tehran's new agency that collects fees for travelling through the Strait of Hormuz.

- Lebanon operations intensify -

Iran and the United States have traded threats for weeks while negotiating through Pakistani mediation.

Neither side appeared ready to compromise on the main sticking points: Hormuz and Iran's nuclear program.

On Wednesday, the Guards' navy said only ships "willing to abide by Iranian order" could pass through Hormuz.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that a deal remained within reach, but that the Hormuz would be reopened "one way or the other".

Iran has also insisted any peace accord must apply to Lebanon, where an April 17 ceasefire has done little to halt fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, which drew the country into the war by attacking Israel in early March in retaliation for the death of Iran's supreme leader.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Monday to "crush" Hezbollah, while army chief Lieutenant Colonel Eyal Zamir said Wednesday that Israel was "intensifying our operations" against the group.

After the warning to evacuate large areas in southern Lebanon, many residents fled to Tyre, according to AFP journalists -- the city subject to new Israeli evacuation orders and where the military said it had begun strikes against Hezbollah infrastructure on Thursday morning.

- 'Nothing is certain' -

In signs of a possible return to normality despite conflict around the region, Iranian authorities partially restored access to the global internet this week after a three-month shutdown.

"I do feel better now because I finally can use my favorite applications," said Hana, a 20-year-old student in Tehran who gave only her first name.

"At the same time, I have this concern that war might resume any minute and just cut me off again from my friends."

Amir, a 27-year-old software developer in the Iranian capital, also feared renewed fighting despite talk of a deal.

"I feel like nothing is certain yet," he said.

"The daily question is: Will there be missile strikes tonight?"

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World

Iranian Discontent Heightens Cross-Border Threat to Syria, Experts Say

Photos released by Syrian media showing drugs seized in Serghaya.
Photos released by Syrian media showing drugs seized in Serghaya.
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Iranian Discontent Heightens Cross-Border Threat to Syria, Experts Say

Photos released by Syrian media showing drugs seized in Serghaya.
Photos released by Syrian media showing drugs seized in Serghaya.

Syrian authorities' announcement late Friday that they had foiled a major drug-smuggling operation from Lebanon in the Serghaya area of rural Damascus drew attention for one particular reason: the operation was handled by Defense Ministry troops rather than internal security forces, security expert Diaa Qaddour told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Another military analyst linked the growing tensions along Syria's borders with Lebanon and Iraq to Iran's dissatisfaction with the Syrian government.

The Defense Ministry's Media and Communications Department said border guards had intercepted an attempt to smuggle narcotics into Syria from Lebanon near Serghaya, along the border in the Damascus countryside.

The smugglers opened fire on the patrol, prompting troops to return fire and forcing the gunmen to retreat into Lebanese territory, the ministry said.

According to Syria's Internal Security Forces, the authorities seized 280 kilograms of hashish and 28,000 Captagon pills.

The incident followed extensive raids carried out by the Lebanese Army on November 4 in the rugged outskirts of Arsal, which led to the arrest of suspected smugglers and the interception of vehicles attempting to cross the border illegally.

It also came days after Syrian authorities arrested members of a cell allegedly plotting an attack on the Homs oil refinery. Damascus accused the cell of having ties to Lebanon's Hezbollah, an allegation the group denied.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Qaddour accused Hezbollah of stepping up what he described as terrorist activities inside Syria, including attacks targeting sensitive sites.

He warned that the border region had become extremely volatile, with tensions liable to escalate at any moment, requiring Syrian security forces to remain on constant alert.

Damascus has been working to strengthen security cooperation with neighboring countries in an effort to close illegal border crossings and dismantle cross-border smuggling networks.

Security coordination topped the agenda during Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi's visit to Damascus on October 28, when he led a high-level ministerial delegation.

Border control was also a priority in talks between the Syrian government and a Lebanese delegation headed by Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri, which visited Damascus on November 2.

Since the start of the country's liberation, Damascus has sought to reassure its neighbors by tightening border controls and reopening crossings in ways that benefit both sides economically.

Military affairs analyst Rashid Hourani described the approach as "border-crossing diplomacy."

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Hourani said Damascus had sought to resolve its disputes with neighboring countries by securing its borders and ensuring they posed no threat to Syria or its neighbors.

But developments along the Syrian-Lebanese and Syrian-Iraqi borders, he argued, point to growing Iranian frustration with Damascus.

He attributed Tehran's displeasure partly to Syria's success in tightening border security and partly to recent discussions about its possible participation in the Makkah Agreement, alongside an announcement that Damascus would provide Saudi Arabia with military expertise to confront the Houthis, Iran's ally in Yemen.

"Iran therefore sought to cause trouble for Syria and instructed Hezbollah, whose regional influence has diminished, to stir up tensions along the Syrian border," Hourani said.

He argued that a similar dynamic was at play along the Iraqi border, where Iranian-backed militias exert considerable influence over decision-making within the country's military and security institutions.

Securing Syria's borders remains one of the most pressing security challenges facing Damascus.

Qaddour assessed the threat entering Syria across its borders as "moderate to high in the near term," although he said it could still be contained if current security efforts were sustained.

He identified the border with Lebanon as particularly vulnerable because of its rugged terrain and numerous illegal crossings.

The Iraqi border, by contrast, has seen substantial fortification through the construction of walls and trenches, while active security coordination with Jordan has helped authorities intercept major smuggling shipments.

Hourani also pointed to Syria and Jordan's participation in an anti-ISIS alliance established in March 2025 alongside Turkey, Iraq and Lebanon.

He said their membership in the coalition made it likely that the two countries would overcome the fallout from a Jordanian military operation in Syria's Daraa Governorate, where an operational error resulted in civilian casualties.

Meanwhile, recent developments have underscored the growing security threat along the Syrian-Lebanese border, with successive operations exposing what analysts describe as coordinated attempts to destabilize Syria.

Qaddour said drug trafficking remained the most serious threat, with evidence pointing to longstanding links between smuggling networks, elements of Syria's former regime and Hezbollah.

He also warned of an increasingly troubling development: smuggling cartels resorting to armed resistance against security forces.

The latest incident, in which smugglers exchanged fire with Syrian troops before fleeing into Lebanon, illustrated the growing danger, he said.

Qaddour argued that the situation demanded more than routine security coordination.

He called for tighter joint control over illegal crossings, expanded intelligence sharing and a systematic crackdown on cross-border criminal networks.

He also raised the possibility of urgent operations at particularly vulnerable points along the Lebanese border, warning that failure to close these security gaps could turn them into a persistent source of instability for both countries.

World

5 People Were Killed, More than a Dozen Injured in Krakow Shooting

This photo taken on November 5, 2026 shows a view of the Palace of Culture and Science (C) among Warsaw's skyscrapers at sunset. (Photo by Sergei GAPON / AFP)
This photo taken on November 5, 2026 shows a view of the Palace of Culture and Science (C) among Warsaw's skyscrapers at sunset. (Photo by Sergei GAPON / AFP)
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5 People Were Killed, More than a Dozen Injured in Krakow Shooting

This photo taken on November 5, 2026 shows a view of the Palace of Culture and Science (C) among Warsaw's skyscrapers at sunset. (Photo by Sergei GAPON / AFP)
This photo taken on November 5, 2026 shows a view of the Palace of Culture and Science (C) among Warsaw's skyscrapers at sunset. (Photo by Sergei GAPON / AFP)

Up to 5 people were killed and more than a dozen injured in Krakow shooting; perpetrator shot by officers, Polish police say.

A shooter opened fire in a market square in the Polish city of Krakow Saturday, leaving people dead and injured, authorities said.

The shooting occurred in the Main Square in Krakow, the municipal government said on X. A spokesperson for the local firefighters told Polsat News that the perpetrator fired a gun from a passing car.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, in a post on X, said police are investigating the attack. Other details were not immediately available.

Krakow is the second-largest city in Poland and roughly 250 kilometers (155 miles) from the capital, Warsaw.

World

US Treasury Sanctions Canadian Money Services Firms Over Iran-Related Transactions

FILE PHOTO: The US Department of the Treasury Building in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 11, 2026. REUTERS/Daniel Heuer/File Photo/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The US Department of the Treasury Building in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 11, 2026. REUTERS/Daniel Heuer/File Photo/File Photo
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US Treasury Sanctions Canadian Money Services Firms Over Iran-Related Transactions

FILE PHOTO: The US Department of the Treasury Building in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 11, 2026. REUTERS/Daniel Heuer/File Photo/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The US Department of the Treasury Building in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 11, 2026. REUTERS/Daniel Heuer/File Photo/File Photo

The United States on Friday announced a new round of sanctions targeting networks and entities connected to Iran, according to a notification published on the US Department of the Treasury’s website.

“Today, as part of Operation Economic Outcast, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated eight money services businesses based in Canada that enable the Iranian regime, sanctioned entities associated with the regime, and other illicit actors that move assets into and out of Iran,” it wrote.

The sanctions effectively cut the firms off from the dollar-based financial system, blocking any assets that the firms may have in the United States and prohibiting any transactions with US persons or entities.

The actions are the latest ⁠in a series of Treasury moves against firms outside the United States that it says help Iran get around US sanctions, as Washington keeps up pressure on Tehran.

“Canada cannot be a safe haven for illicit financial facilitators that provide sanctions evasion services to the Iranian regime and its proxies,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. “Treasury will pursue and disrupt the Iranian regime’s financial channels anywhere in the world.”

The Treasury identified the designated businesses in Ontario and British Columbia as Diverse Trade ⁠Inc doing business as Million Exchange, 1380079 BC Limited, Top PC Technician Inc, NIA Nations Currency Ltd, 2397639 Ontario Ltd doing business as Farah Exchange, CCC Inc and B Galaxy Inc and Darvish Exchange.

Separately, the Treasury said its Financial Crimes Enforcement Network division ⁠issued an order that also cuts off virtual currency exchanger MEXC Global from the US financial system over transactions that it says are linked to sanctions evasion by Iran, North ⁠Korea and Russia.

FinCEN, the Treasury's anti-money laundering unit, said that the order prevents US financial institutions from processing fund transfers involving Seychelles-incorporated MEXC Global, which it ⁠says has facilitated at least $16 billion in illicit transactions linked to Iran, North Korea and Russia as well as transactions with other sanctioned actors.