Iran and Israel said on Monday they had halted attacks against each other following an appeal from US President Donald Trump, while US forces simultaneously escalated pressure on Tehran by disabling an oil tanker attempting to reach an Iranian port in defiance of Washington's naval blockade.
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday Iran had shot down a US Apache helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz and vowed to respond, deepening doubts about prospects for peace between the two countries. Two US pilots involved in the incident were uninjured, said media reports.
Israel launched strikes against military targets in western and central Iran early Monday, defying reported calls from US President Donald Trump for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to refrain from retaliatory action following an Iranian missile attack on Israel.
Bahrain announced on Saturday that its air defences intercepted Iranian missiles, while strongly condemning Iranian attacks targeting the Kingdom of Bahrain and the State of Kuwait earlier in the day.
Iran fired missiles toward Bahrain and Kuwait as the United States carried out fresh military strikes against Iranian targets and enforced its maritime blockade in the Gulf yesterday, in one of the most serious escalations since a fragile ceasefire took hold.
Air travel to and from Kuwait faced disruption on Wednesday after hostile drones struck Terminal One at Kuwait International Airport, forcing authorities to suspend flight operations at the terminal and divert aircraft to alternative airports.
Conflicting messages from Washington and Tehran on Monday deepened uncertainty over the future of US-Iran negotiations, leaving markets and regional observers struggling to gauge whether weeks of diplomatic engagement are moving toward a breakthrough or drifting toward collapse.
Oil prices further declined on Wednesday, extending the previous session's losses following the US-Iran interim peace deal which is expected to allow free passage for vessels through Strait of Hormuz.
The proposed $300 billion fund being discussed as part of the US-Iran interim peace agreement is intended to serve as a private investment vehicle to help drive economic development and reconstruction in Iran, according to a Reuters report.
The interim agreement between the US and Iran aimed at ending the Middle East conflict is expected to pave the way for Iran to resume oil exports immediately, according to US officials.
