Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) ⁠says it launched a retaliatory strike on a base used by US forces that it claims was used for an attack on an Iranian communications tower, with Kuwait saying it intercepted air attacks.

“Following the aggression of the US army on a communication tower on Sirik Island in Hormozgan Province an hour ago, the IRGC Aerospace Force fighters targeted the airbase where the aggression originated, and the predicted targets were destroyed,” the IRGC said in a statement cited by the semi-official Fars news agency on Monday.

Air defences in Kuwait, where the US base is located, intercepted missiles and drones as sirens sounded across the country, the state news agency KUNA reported.

In a statement, Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned Iranian attacks on its territory.

“The Ministry affirms that the continuation and repetition of these aggressions undermine efforts aimed at de-escalating tensions and threaten security and stability in the region,” the statement said.

The attacks come after the United States said it carried out strikes on Iran this weekend in response to “aggressive Iranian actions that included the shootdown of a US MQ-1 drone that was operating over international waters”.

“US fighter aircraft swiftly responded by eliminating Iranian air defences, a ground control station, and two one-way attack drones that posed clear threats to ships transiting regional waters,” the Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a post on X, adding it will continue to protect US assets and interests during the ongoing ‌ceasefire.

CENTCOM said no US troops were hurt in the attacks.

Fragile ceasefire

The attacks, the latest in several exchanges of fire in recent days, come as indirect negotiations between the US and Iran to formalise a fragile ceasefire that took effect in April continue.

There have been mixed signals about whether the two sides are close to an agreement to extend the fragile truce.

The two sides have reportedly been reviewing a potential memorandum of understanding (MoU) that would extend the ceasefire for a further 60 days and begin negotiations to end the war permanently.

According to US media reports, the MoU will state that shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is to be “unrestricted”, meaning there will be no tolls, no “harassment”, and that Iran will have 30 days to remove all sea mines.

The MoU will also reportedly include a commitment from Iran not to work towards building nuclear weapons.

During the 60-day window following the start of the new agreement, the first issue to be discussed in peace talks will be Iran’s uranium enrichment programme, and how to dispose of its stock of highly enriched uranium.

The New York Times newspaper reported that Trump has since “toughened the terms” of the potential framework, while media outlet Axios said the president asked for “several amendments” to the preliminary agreement his envoys reached with Iran.

Iranian state media reported on Saturday that the proposed MoU with the US included an agreement to release $12bn in frozen assets.

The report cited an “unofficial” draft of the memorandum, and a similar item carried by state TV earlier this week was dismissed by the White House as a “fabrication”.

Tehran warns of ‘mistrust’

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil ‌Baghaei said on Monday that any delay ⁠in ⁠the diplomatic process to end the war can ⁠be explained by a lack of trust, ⁠Washington’s contradictory positions and Israel’s attacks on Lebanon.

“Negotiations have started amid severe suspicion and mistrust, and the exchange of messages is taking place in ⁠this atmosphere,” Baghaei said.

“The other ⁠party is constantly changing its views and putting forward new ⁠or contradictory demands … it is ⁠natural that this ⁠situation will prolong negotiations,” he said, adding that Tehran viewed Israeli ‌actions in the region, including in Lebanon, as inseparable ‌from the US.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Iran’s IRNA news agency on Sunday that “dialogue and an exchange of messages are ongoing” with the US.

“It is not possible to judge until a clear conclusion is reached,” Araghchi said amid the recent speculation about the negotiations. “Everything that is being said now is speculation and should not be taken seriously until it is certain.”

Trump claims Iran ‘really wants to make a deal’

US President Donald Trump said in a statement on his Truth Social platform late on Sunday, Tehran “really wants to make a deal” and that whatever deal is reached will “be a good one” for the US “and those that are with us”.

He lashed out at domestic critics for “negatively ‘chirping’” about his handling of the war but made no mention of the US strikes on Iran.

“Just sit back and relax, it will all work out well in the end – It always does!” he said.

FIFA’s on-field officials for the World Cup will insist on keeping matches moving by taking rule changes designed to limit time-wasting seriously, the sport’s governing body said Sunday with the start of the 48-team tournament now less than two weeks away.

Also among the points of emphasis for referees and officials: a commitment to issuing red cards to any player who covers his mouth while talking to an opponent in a “confrontational situation,” FIFA said.

“We are continuing on trying to achieve an objective, which is to eliminate from matches — as much as possible — the disruption of the tempo of the match,” said Pierluigi Collina, FIFA chief refereeing officer and chair of the referees committee.

Other issues that referees will be mindful of during the tournament:

— If a player leaves the field of play after being angered by an official’s decision, a red card can be issued.

— To speed up play, referees can institute a five-second visual countdown on goal kicks and throw-ins. If the goal kick is not taken before the end of that countdown, a corner kick will be awarded to the opposing team. If the throw-in is not executed by the end of the five-second count, a throw-in for the opponents will be the reward. It’s along the same lines of the so-called eight-second goalkeeper rule that has been in place for some time to release the ball after making a save.

— Players getting subbed off must leave the field within 10 seconds, except for special situations such as ones involving injuries or a security issue.

— The protocol for Video Assistant Referee, or VAR, is being clarified in certain areas. VAR can be used to check when red cards are issued following a clearly incorrect second yellow card, or when cards are issued in the case of mistaken identity. Incorrectly awarded corner kicks can also be checked by VAR, FIFA said.

Players covering their mouth with a hand, arm or shirt will be given red cards if referees deem it not to be a friendly conversation, FIFA said. Conversations that are not confrontational but still have players shielding their mouths from public view will continue to be permitted without penalty.

“Confrontational … a completely different story,” Collina said.

There has also been a clarification on VAR protocol “regarding clear offenses committed by the attacking team before the ball is in play at a corner kick or free kick” that directly impacts goals, penalty kicks or sanctions.

VAR can be used in those moments and “if the referee determines that an offense occurred before the ball was in play, the appropriate disciplinary action will be taken.”

But all the emphasis on speedy play won’t necessarily mean quicker matches. There will be three-minute water breaks midway through each half of every match, FIFA said.

___

AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

Hezbollah has begun unleashing “game changing” waves of “lethal” nighttime drones against Israel, a defense expert warns, with the attacks contributing to casualties, defense breaches and plunging parts of the border region into chaos, according to reports.

Escalating deployments by Hezbollah had also prompted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to convene an emergency security meeting on May 30 following a surprise Hezbollah strike, amid reports of “utter chaos” as Israeli forces scrambled to respond.

“These nighttime drones are the very small Category 1 and Category 2 drones,” defense expert and Draganfly CEO Cameron Chell told Fox News Digital.

“They are generally used by squads on the ground to go and conduct tactical lethal missions or surveillance missions right in theater immediately. What they are able to do is use thermal sensors to be able to fly at night and use heat signatures to spot IDF troops,” he said.

ISRAEL SAYS IT IS STRIKING HEZBOLLAH TARGETS IN LEBANON

“Hezbollah now has nighttime capabilities, which is game changing,” Chell added.

“What you will see is an escalation of the use of drones and the innovation of asymmetric warfare in that particular area by Hezbollah,” he warned.

Chell’s comments came amid reports of makeshift defenses with nets being deployed against the backdrop of a significant shift in the conflict.

Israeli soldiers have resorted to buying commercial fishing and soccer nets to entangle the incoming aerial threats, according to reports.

“This means that there is a whole other set of countermeasures that the IDF has to put in place, whether it is electronic jamming, net guns or the use of netting just to put in front of installations or in front of vehicles to try to stop the final impact of the drone if it is a strike drone,” Chell added.

HEZBOLLAH DISARMAMENT DEADLOCK RISKS CIVIL WAR, ANALYSTS SAY, AS US PREPARES FOR ISRAEL–LEBANON TALKS

“The IDF will have to change a lot of their tactics regarding their ability to move around and conduct operations at night. Now they will have to factor in the fact that Hezbollah has nighttime capabilities to at least do observation using thermal cameras, as well as strike capabilities.”

Netanyahu called a meeting with top officials following an intense Hezbollah rocket and drone blitz that caught the military off guard on Saturday.

According to a report by Channel 13, the Israeli army was surprised by the scale of the fire as well as Hezbollah’s decision to shift its operational policy in response to the expansion of Israel’s ground operations beyond the Litani River.

IDF SOLDIERS ACCUSE UN PEACEKEEPERS OF ENABLING HEZBOLLAH TERRORISTS AMID INCREASING CEASE-FIRE VIOLATIONS

Reports from the ground described “utter chaos” in parts of the north. While rockets were said to have hit the cities, Hezbollah simultaneously launched waves of drone strikes.

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem has also touted the militant group’s drone capabilities, calling them an effective weapon against Israeli forces operating near and inside southern Lebanon. 

Netanyahu has also described Hezbollah’s drone capabilities as a major threat given the difficulty in detecting them.

“Hezbollah have got a supply line or supply chain of some sort set up,” Chell added before stating that they are not “using stuff that is groundbreaking; this is very old technology and tactics that they are using.”

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“That said, somebody is making the equipment available to Hezbollah — whether it is coming via Iran, China, Russia, Afghanistan or the black market, someone is getting enough product and feeding it into their supply chains,” Chell warned.