Iran Responds to 2nd Day of US Strikes 06/11 06:10

   The U.S and Iran traded strikes for a second day, pushing the Middle East 
closer to the resumption of a full-scale war.

   DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- The U.S and Iran traded strikes for a 
second day, pushing the Middle East closer to the resumption of a full-scale 
war.

   The American attack, which lasted into Thursday morning in Iran, appeared 
more intense and wider than the day before, but Tehran released little 
information on the extent of the damage. An Indian official said a U.S. attack 
on an oil tanker allegedly trying to violate Washington's blockade on Iranian 
ports killed three Indian mariners, underscoring the danger to seafarers.

   It was the third time this week that back-and-forth strikes have rattled the 
Middle East. The first involved attacks between Iran and Israel, followed by 
the two rounds of fire between the U.S. and Iran, which hit countries in the 
region that host American bases.

   The new exchange of fire came as efforts to negotiate an end to the war 
appeared stuck, with U.S. President Donald Trump warning that Tehran would "pay 
the price" for stalled negotiations. Iran's Foreign Ministry said in a 
statement Thursday that the U.S. attacks had "effectively rendered the 
ceasefire ... meaningless," without saying it was abandoning it.

   Central to the negotiations is Iran's stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, 
which has disrupted global energy supplies, driven up fuel prices and made food 
and other basics more expensive well beyond the region.

   Iran announced Thursday that the strait was closed -- but it was unclear 
what that meant since it has severely restricted traffic through the waterway 
since early in the war and only a trickle of ships have gotten through. The 
U.S. military's Central Command disputed the claim -- and Trump said Wednesday 
that the U.S. has undertaken a secret mission in recent weeks to sneak ships 
through the passage.

   The two sides also remain at odds over Iran's nuclear program, which Tehran 
insists is peaceful but which the U.S. and Israel fear could be used to build 
an atomic weapon due to its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. The U.S. and 
Israel said a major reason they went to war on Feb. 28 was to ensure that Iran 
would never be able to do that.

   US strikes Iran and Iran fires back at Gulf states

   Central Command said its latest round of airstrikes came "in response to 
Iran's unwarranted and continued aggression" and targeted "Iranian military 
surveillance capabilities, communication systems and air defense sites." It did 
not elaborate on the damage done by the strikes, which it said ended just 
before sunrise Thursday in Iran.

   Explosions from the strikes echoed around Iran's capital, as well as the 
port city of Bandar Abbas and other southern areas along the Strait of Hormuz. 
Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard later said sites hit included a 
manufacturing complex, a military barracks and a local Guard base outside of 
Tehran.

   Iran said it fired back at Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan, as it had a day 
before.

   Kuwait closed its airspace for several hours because of the attack, but did 
not elaborate on any damage. Jordan said it intercepted 20 Iranian missiles 
fired toward an area that is home to a base hosting U.S. troops, though no one 
was hurt.

   Bahrain's Interior Ministry said an 11-year-old girl was hurt and cars and 
homes were damaged by debris from interceptions responding to the Iranian 
attack.

   Meanwhile, Israel warned residents in the country's north to seek shelter 
after the detection of suspected incoming fire from Lebanon, where Israel is 
fighting the Iran-allied Hezbollah militant group.

   Trump says the US is sneaking oil through the Strait of Hormuz

   Iran's ability to control the Strait of Hormuz has proved a strong 
bargaining chip since the narrow waterway's effective closure has severely 
disrupted the global economy.

   Trump said Wednesday that the U.S. military has undertaken a mission since 
last month to sneak oil shipments past Iran's forces in the strait, aided by 
the destruction of Iranian radar equipment.

   Trump said as a result more than 100 million barrels of oil have evaded 
Iran's chokehold. There was no immediate confirmation of that figure, which 
equals roughly five days of oil shipments through the waterway before the war 
began.

   But the seas remain dangerous for mariners. Indian Ports, Shipping and 
Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal announced on X that three Indians missing 
after the American attack on the tanker Settebello had been killed.

   The U.S. military's Central Command had accused the Settebello of having 
"violated the ongoing blockade by attempting to transport oil from Iran." 
American forces fired into the ship's engine room to stop it Wednesday.

   The leader of the International Maritime Organization, a United Nations 
agency, condemned the attack. India's foreign ministry summoned a senior U.S. 
diplomat to convey its "deepest concerns" over the attack and formally protest 
the strike, spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

   Another tanker near where the Settebello was struck off Oman experienced a 
fire in its engine room on Thursday, according to the British military's United 
Kingdom Maritime Operations center. It wasn't immediately clear what sparked 
the blaze.

   Big disagreements stand in the way of a quick peace deal

   Trump suggested earlier this week that an agreement with Iran could be close 
-- but the exchanges of fire have called that into question, and big 
differences remain.

   The U.S. wants to see Iran give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, 
which is a short technical step from weapons-grade levels.

   Iran is refusing to give up the uranium and demanding relief from sanctions. 
It also wants the release of frozen assets even before a final agreement is in 
place, something Trump rejected.

   Iran has insisted that any deal to end the war must also end fighting 
between its ally Hezbollah and Israel. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin 
Netanyahu appears intent on pursuing his goal of destroying the militant group.

   A Qatari diplomatic delegation, negotiating in coordination with the U.S., 
left Tehran on Thursday morning after holding talks, according to an official 
with knowledge of the team who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the 
mediation. Pakistan, meanwhile, expressed deep concern over rising tensions and 
urged both Iran and the U.S. to adhere to the ceasefire.