IRAN and the United States continued to trade blows today as their ceasefire came under increasing strain, even as negotiations towards ending the war continue.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Thursday it had struck a base used by US forces, in response to earlier US attacks on Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz.

The Iranians said: “Following this morning’s aggression by the invading US military against a location on the outskirts of Bandar Abbas Airport using aerial projectiles, the US air base that served as the source of the attack was targeted,” according to Iranian state broadcaster IRIB.

Details on the location of the base were not provided, but authorities in Kuwait said their air defences had been forced to respond to an “enemy” attack on Thursday.

A US official told news agency Reuters that the US military had shot down four Iranian attack drones and struck a ground control station in the port ⁠city of Bandar Abbas that had been about to launch a fifth.

The US source said: “These actions were measured, purely defensive and intended to maintain the ceasefire.”

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran would continue to “take all necessary measures to defend its national sovereignty.”

Mr Baghaei went on to slam what he described as “the threatening rhetoric of American officials against Iran and several regional countries.”

US President Donald Trump expressed confidence that his administration was making headway in negotiations to end the war at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, but denied reports that a deal was close.

Mr Trump dismissed an Iranian state TV report that it had obtained an unofficial draft of an agreement to restore commercial shipping through the strait to pre-war levels within a month, with Iran and Oman jointly managing traffic.

He said he had been clear that no single country would be allowed to claim control of the strait, then appeared to threaten Oman, a country with which the US has close military and economic ties.

The US president said: “Nobody’s going to control [the strait].

“It’s international waters and Oman will behave just like everybody else or we’ll have to blow them ⁠up. They understand that, they’ll be fine.”

Mr Trump added he was not yet satisfied with a potential deal with Iran and the US was not discussing easing sanctions on the country.