Iran Strikes U.S. Bases in Kuwait as Hormuz Tensions Rise

Iran launched missile and drone attacks targeting U.S. military bases in Kuwait late Wednesday, according to Iranian state-run Press TV, marking another escalation in renewed hostilities between Washington and Tehran.

Kuwait’s Armed Forces said the country’s air defense systems were intercepting “hostile targets,” although officials did not identify where the incoming threats originated.

The reported Iran strikes come after military tensions with the United States intensified again in late August. Washington initially carried out attacks against targets in Iran near the Strait of Hormuz, prompting retaliation from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Iran subsequently launched waves of missiles and drones toward U.S. military infrastructure across Gulf countries and warned that further attacks could follow.

The latest confrontation represents the most severe fighting between the U.S. and Iran since late July. A brief pause in hostilities had raised hopes that negotiations could produce an agreement, but diplomatic efforts made little progress before military operations resumed.

Oil prices pared earlier losses in Asian trading Thursday following reports of the strikes. Energy markets remain sensitive to developments around the Strait of Hormuz as the United States maintains its naval blockade against Iran and Tehran continues to insist that the strategic waterway remains closed.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most important oil transportation routes. Before the conflict disrupted shipping, roughly one-fifth of global oil consumption passed through the waterway, making any prolonged closure a major risk to international energy supplies and oil prices.

Recent shipping data indicate that vessel traffic through the Strait remains only a fraction of prewar levels.

With Iran targeting U.S. positions in the Gulf and tensions surrounding Hormuz remaining elevated, markets are closely watching for further military escalation and signs of additional disruptions to Middle Eastern oil exports.