Fresh tensions have erupted between the United States and Iran after the US military carried out strikes against what American officials described as an Iranian drone operation near the Strait of Hormuz.

According to Reuters, the US military intercepted four Iranian attack drones and targeted a ground control station near Bandar Abbas that was allegedly preparing to launch another drone.American officials insisted the action was defensive and aimed at maintaining the fragile ceasefire that has been in place since early April.In response, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard announced that it targeted a US airbase linked to the American operation.

Reports from regional media and Gulf authorities suggested that air defence systems in Kuwait were activated after what was described as an enemy attack.Israel also reported security alerts over hostile aircraft activity in its northern areas.

The latest escalation has once again increased fears regarding stability in the Middle East and the security of the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy route through which a large share of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes.Oil prices rose sharply after news of the confrontation, while global stock markets weakened and the US dollar strengthened.

At the same time, President Donald Trump dismissed reports from Iranian state television claiming that Washington and Tehran were close to an agreement on restoring commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump rejected the suggestion that Iran or Oman would gain authority over the waterway and warned that no country would control the strategic passage.

Iranian officials also stated that Tehran would not step back from its demands regarding uranium enrichment, sanctions relief and influence over the strait.

Meanwhile, the White House rejected reports of a draft agreement as fabricated, while negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme and broader regional security remain unresolved.