The largest-scale clashes since the ceasefire! Kuwait says Iran's attack injured 63 people, Trump "puts out the fire": Negotiations are going smoothly, an agreement may be reached over the weekend.

Since the US-Iran “ceasefire agreement” in April, this may be the fiercest confrontation between the two sides yet.

According to media reports, from June 2 to 3, the US and Iran engaged in the most intense clash since the April ceasefire, triggered by the US military’s strike on an Iranian oil tanker attempting to break the blockade. Iran immediately launched ballistic missiles at Kuwait and Bahrain, where US military bases are stationed, with Kuwait International Airport suffering severe damage, resulting in one death and 63 injuries.

According to Xinhua News Agency on June 4, the Iranian military issued a statement late at night on June 3, claiming the Iranian Navy attacked a US destroyer in the Gulf of Oman, targeting the command and control center on the ship responsible for hostile actions against Iran. US Central Command immediately denied this on social media, stating, “US naval forces continue to operate safely and freely, conducting flights, navigation, and various operations without obstruction.”

Trigger: One Oil Tanker Ignites a Chain Reaction

The starting point of this clash was an oil tanker named “Lexi.”

According to reports, on June 2 (US Eastern Time), a US military aircraft fired a “Hellfire” missile into the engine room of “Lexi,” leaving it heavily damaged and incapacitated. US Central Command stated that the vessel was attempting to head to Iran’s Kharg Island to load oil, in an attempt to break the US blockade. Earlier in March this year, this ship was already placed on the US Treasury Department’s sanctions list for previously transporting millions of barrels of Iranian crude oil.

The ship then sent out a distress signal. A crew member radioed, “We were hit by a US missile, and the engine room is on fire.”

After the US struck “Lexi,” Iran immediately retaliated. According to China Central Television citing a notice from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran launched a missile at the “Panaya,” a ship belonging to “US-Israeli interests,” accusing it of “aggressive actions and violating the rules of the Strait of Hormuz.” Afterwards, Iran fired ballistic missiles at Kuwait and Bahrain, both of which host US military bases.

Kuwait: 13 Ballistic Missiles, 17 Drones, a Pre-dawn Strike

In the early hours of June 3, Kuwait bore the brunt of this round of fighting.

According to Xinhua News Agency, on June 3 Kuwait’s Ministry of Health said the Iranian attack injured 63 people and that emergency response plans had been activated, with medical resources mobilized nationwide. Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Kuwait International Airport and other civilian facilities were struck by Iranian ballistic missiles and drones, causing one death and multiple injuries.

Kuwait stated that 13 ballistic missiles and 17 drones were involved in the attack. Kuwait International Airport was temporarily closed, and flights were diverted.

For Kuwait, this was not the first time. In March and early April this year, Kuwait Airport was hit by drone attacks almost daily, destroying several fuel tanks and a radar system. The airport only gradually reopened in late April, later than neighboring countries by several weeks.

Afterwards, Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry summoned the highest-ranking Iranian diplomat in Kuwait to formally protest and expelled two lower-ranking Iranian diplomats.

Bahrain was also targeted in the same round of attacks.

On June 3, the Bahrain Defense Force announced its air defense systems “intercepted and destroyed three missiles and several drones” targeting civilian facilities, with no immediate reports of casualties or property damage.

According to Xinhua News Agency, US Central Command stated that two missiles launched at Kuwait “failed to reach their target area or disintegrated in flight,” while the three missiles aimed at Bahrain were intercepted by US and Bahraini air defense units, with none hitting their targets.

The US military also confirmed it had shot down three one-way attack drones launched by Iran, stating these drones “targeted civilian vessels and seafarers lawfully operating in the region’s waters.” The US also carried out a “defensive” airstrike on an Iranian military ground control station in Qeshm Island.

Qeshm Island, located at the Strait of Hormuz, is a key position for Iran to monitor and control ship traffic.

The US military reported no casualties. US Central Command denied the Islamic Revolutionary Guard’s claims of attacks on US Fifth Fleet headquarters and a US airbase in the Middle East, stating “all Iranian attacks on US forces have failed.”

Regarding this round of clashes, according to China Central Television, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated in an announcement that US shells struck an Iranian oil tanker near the Strait of Hormuz, damaging the engine room, labeling it as an “act of aggression and violation of the rules of the Strait of Hormuz,” and declaring all Iranian actions to be responses.

The Revolutionary Guard further stated that the US military later struck an Iranian communications tower in southern Qeshm Island, so Iran responded by launching missiles and drones at “a US airbase in a certain regional country and the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet.”

Iran reiterated its warning: disrupting the safety of the Strait of Hormuz will make the US military pay a heavy price.

Ceasefire in Name Only, Neither Side Fully Engages

Since the April ceasefire, US-Iranian conflict has never truly stopped, merely lingering in a delicate state of “fighting without all-out war.”

According to media reports, on the evening of June 2 the US Central Command stated that the fragile ceasefire agreement “is still in effect.” There have been several clashes during the ceasefire, but both sides have deliberately avoided a full-scale war.

It’s a bit like two people negotiating at a table, kicking each other under the table—neither wants to flip the table, but neither is willing to stop.

Trump Steps In to “Cool Down”: Agreement May Be Reached by Weekend

Amid the escalating conflict, Trump chose to make a public statement to de-escalate the situation.

Trump indicated that negotiations are progressing smoothly and an agreement could be reached by this weekend. The market interpreted this as a signal that both sides are keeping negotiation channels open.

But in reality, this latest exchange of fire comes as diplomatic efforts have stalled. The most intense fighting since the ceasefire, occurring alongside optimistic statements about an imminent agreement, highlights just how uncertain the situation remains.

For the energy and shipping markets, the safety of transit through the Strait of Hormuz remains a core factor. With Qeshm Island airstrikes, the closure of Kuwait Airport, and renewed fire in the Gulf of Oman—each incident reminds the market that the world’s most important oil transport route remains in a highly tense state.