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Iran dramatically escalated tensions on Wednesday, claiming it launched missile and drone attacks against U.S. military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait after the United States carried out fresh strikes on Iranian targets following attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it targeted the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet facilities in Bahrain and Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait during a joint military operation. The IRGC also claimed it shot down a U.S. MQ-9 drone. Air raid sirens sounded in both countries, while Kuwait’s military said its air defense systems were responding to hostile missiles and drones.
The latest exchange further strains the fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire reached last month. Earlier, U.S. forces struck more than 60 IRGC-linked targets, including air defense systems, anti-ship cruise missiles, drone launch sites, and coastal surveillance assets. U.S. Central Command said the operation was retaliation for attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, accusing Iran of violating the ceasefire and threatening freedom of navigation.
Iran’s military condemned the strikes as a blatant act of aggression, while parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf accused Washington of breaching the ceasefire through military action, renewed oil sanctions, and interference in the strategic waterway.
Explosions were also reported near Iran’s Kharg Island, the country’s main oil export hub, along with Sirik, Bandar Abbas, and Qeshm Island. Iranian state media reported injuries at a commercial pier in Sirik but no civilian deaths.
The conflict intensified after Washington revoked a temporary license allowing Iranian oil exports, requiring transactions to end by July 17. Iran condemned the move, warning it would take any measures necessary to protect its national interests.
Oil markets reacted immediately, with U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rising more than 3% as investors weighed the growing risk of supply disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, Qatar blamed Iran for attacks on commercial vessels, including an LNG tanker, although Tehran denied responsibility. Negotiations on a permanent peace agreement remain stalled, with both sides exchanging fresh warnings over the future of the ceasefire.
