US and Iran Continue Clashes Amid Ongoing Negotiations

CENTCOM Strikes Southern Iran
IRGC Launches Retaliatory Attack

The war-ending negotiations between the United States and Iran have become even more complicated as the two countries have exchanged attacks over the past 24 hours.

According to The New York Times (NYT) on June 1 (local time), the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) issued a statement saying it had struck radars and command facilities in southern Iran over the weekend. The U.S. military explained that this attack was a retaliatory measure for Iran's downing of an American drone. Fighter jets were deployed to target Iranian air defense networks and other military facilities.

In response, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that it had carried out a retaliatory attack targeting the military base used by the United States to attack communication facilities in southern Iran, according to Iranian state media reports.

The government of Kuwait, which hosts a U.S. military base, also condemned Iran on the same day for launching a new attack toward its territory. However, it has not been confirmed whether the actual U.S. military base was the target of the attack.

This clash occurred as the United States and Iran were holding negotiations aimed at ending the war and normalizing the Strait of Hormuz. The talks between the two countries have recently seen repeated progress and setbacks. According to sources familiar with the negotiations, the U.S. and Iranian delegations agreed last week on a draft framework for ending the war and submitted it to their respective leaderships for final approval.

However, U.S. President Donald Trump is reported to have sent a revised proposal to Iran with tougher terms than before. Three anonymous sources stated that President Trump demanded stronger conditions for the agreement.

Iran's final position has not yet been confirmed. In particular, it is unknown how Iran's new leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who is reportedly in hiding, has responded to the proposal.

The situation in Lebanon is also cited as a factor complicating the negotiations. During earlier talks, Iran had demanded that a ceasefire between Israel and the pro-Iranian armed group Hezbollah be included as a condition for the final agreement.

However, on this day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced in a statement that he had ordered a military strike on the southern outskirts of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon. Following Israel's airstrike warning, thousands of residents evacuated the southern suburbs, leading to severe traffic congestion on major roads.

Accordingly, despite assessments that war-ending negotiations are in their final stages, there are concerns that continued U.S.-Iran military clashes and escalating tensions on the Lebanese front could hinder the conclusion of a final agreement.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.