New Delhi, June 28 -- Iran launched drone and missile attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait on Sunday in retaliation for fresh US airstrikes, escalating tensions in the Gulf and threatening to derail fragile negotiations aimed at ending the conflict.

The latest exchange came as Tehran warned it would impose a "complete halt" to peace negotiations if Washington continued military operations, while also insisting that it alone should oversee shipping through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.

The escalation follows efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz without Iran's direct oversight.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking during a visit to Baghdad, warned that alternative shipping arrangements would only worsen the crisis.

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