Qatar condemns missile and drone attack on Kuwait

Russia said on Thursday it was ready to assist in the removal of enriched uranium from Iran, while urging Tehran and Washington to keep negotiating and avoid a return to armed conflict.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow was prepared to help with the uranium issue but was “not imposing its initiative.”

She called on the United States and Iran not to slide back into war and said diplomacy should continue.

Kuwait condemned Iranian missile and drone attacks on its territory on Thursday, calling them a dangerous escalation and a clear violation of its sovereignty.

Kuwait’s foreign ministry said the attacks threatened civilians and vital facilities and came as regional and international efforts were underway to reduce tensions.

The ministry demanded that Iran immediately and unconditionally stop the attacks and said Tehran bore full responsibility for the serious breach of international law, the UN Charter and UN Security Council Resolution 2817.

Kuwait said it reserved the full right to take all necessary measures to protect its security and defend its territory and vital facilities under Article 51 of the UN Charter.

Witnesses in Rasht say protesters were driven into narrow market passages, trapped as fire spread and fired upon by security forces during January’s unrest, according to accounts gathered by Iran International.

The accounts are part of an Iran International public documentation campaign seeking to establish how many people were killed in Rasht, how the market fire unfolded and what happened to victims’ bodies and families in the days that followed.

The campaign is collecting and verifying accounts, images and videos from witnesses and families of those killed in Rasht, one of several cities where the January protests were met with severe force.

Parts of Rasht’s old market, including the booksellers’ market, the arched bazaar and the coppersmiths’ market, caught fire during the protests.

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US Central Command said on Thursday that Iran fired a ballistic missile toward Kuwait in an “egregious ceasefire violation.”

CENTCOM said Kuwaiti forces intercepted the missile, which it said was launched at 10:17 p.m. ET on May 27.

It said the missile launch came hours after Iranian forces launched five one-way attack drones that posed a threat in and near the Strait of Hormuz.

CENTCOM said US forces intercepted all five drones and prevented a sixth launch from an Iranian ground control site in Bandar Abbas.

The command said US forces and regional partners remained vigilant while defending US forces and interests from what it called Iranian aggression.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards navy said on Thursday that 26 commercial ships and oil tankers crossed the Strait of Hormuz over the past 24 hours after receiving permits and coordinating with its forces.

The IRGC navy said several ships tried to enter the Persian Gulf overnight without authorization after tampering with or turning off navigation systems.

It said two of the vessels were stopped after repeated radio warnings, while the others were forced to turn back.

The Guards said permits and coordination were mandatory for passage through the Strait of Hormuz and that using other routes would be treated as disruption.

The IRGC also said the US military had violated the ceasefire by firing several missiles at empty areas of Bandar Abbas airport, causing no damage. It said the US base from which the attack originated was hit in response.

The Guards warned that any repeat by the US military would face a “harsh response.”