U.S. and Iran Trade Accusations and Strikes as Ceasefire Frays

The United States and Iran reported new military actions on May 28, 2026, deepening doubts about a fragile ceasefire and adding to fears of a wider confrontation in the Gulf.

The U.S. military accused Iran of violating the ceasefire after Kuwait reported missile attacks, according to the research record. U.S. forces had also conducted strikes on Iranian military targets for the second time this week. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps said it targeted a U.S. airbase in retaliation for earlier U.S. strikes near Bandar Abbas airport.

The military exchanges unfolded alongside escalating pressure over the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump warned Oman, saying the United States would “blow them up” if Oman did not “behave just like everybody else” in relation to control of the waterway. The warning came amid reports of a plan under which Oman and Iran would jointly charge tolls for passage through the strait.

The U.S. Treasury Department also announced sanctions on Iran’s newly launched Persian Gulf Strait Authority, an agency described in the research record as part of Iran’s effort to control shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

The combined effect of the strikes, ceasefire accusations, sanctions and Hormuz dispute has contributed to doubts that the conflict is nearing an end. The research record also notes that oil prices rose as the tensions intensified.