Iran strikes US military sites in Bahrain, Kuwait after new American attacks

TEHRAN, Iran (MNTV) — Iran launched missile and drone strikes against U.S. military installations in Bahrain and Kuwait on Wednesday after the United States carried out a new wave of military attacks against Iranian targets, further undermining the fragile ceasefire reached last month.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it targeted U.S. military positions in Bandar Salman, Bahrain’s Fifth Naval District, and Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait during what it described as a joint missile and drone operation. The IRGC also claimed it shot down a U.S. MQ-9 drone that attempted to interfere with the operation.

Air raid sirens sounded across Bahrain and Kuwait as the attacks unfolded.

The Kuwaiti military said its air defense systems intercepted what it described as “hostile” missiles and drones.

The Iranian retaliation came hours after the United States launched fresh military strikes against Iran following attacks on commercial tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.

The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces targeted more than 60 small boats belonging to the IRGC, along with other military assets, claiming the operation was intended to impose costs on Iran following attacks on shipping.

“The unwarranted aggression by Iranian forces is a clear and dangerous violation of the ceasefire and undermines freedom of navigation,” CENTCOM said in a statement.

Iranian media reported that U.S. strikes also targeted two military bases in the southern province of Bushehr. A provincial official confirmed the attacks to Fars News Agency, while no casualties were immediately reported.

Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters condemned the U.S. operation as a “blatant act of aggression” and warned that Tehran would deliver what it described as a crushing response. The military command also said Iran would not accept foreign interference in the management of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf accused Washington of violating the ceasefire agreement through renewed military attacks, tighter oil sanctions, interference in developments related to the Strait of Hormuz and continued Israeli military operations in Lebanon.

“The era of bullying and extortion is over. We don’t fold,” Qalibaf wrote on social media platform X.

Iranian media also reported explosions near the country’s main oil export hub on Kharg Island, as well as on Qeshm Island and in the southern port cities of Sirik and Bandar Abbas.

Press TV said several explosions were heard on Kharg Island, from which roughly 90 percent of Iran’s crude oil exports are shipped. CENTCOM did not mention strikes on the island.

A U.S. official told Reuters that American forces struck Iranian air defense systems, coastal surveillance facilities, surface-to-air missile batteries, anti-ship cruise missiles and drone launch sites.

The latest exchange has placed renewed pressure on the temporary ceasefire reached last month after weeks of fighting between Iran, the United States and Israel.

Meanwhile, maritime security concerns intensified after at least four oil and gas tankers abandoned planned voyages through the Strait of Hormuz following attacks on commercial vessels.

Ship-tracking data from Kpler and LSEG showed three empty QatarEnergy liquefied natural gas tankers — Al Ghariya, Duhail and Al Ruwais — reversed course before entering the strategic waterway and headed away from the strait.

A fourth vessel, an Indian-flagged tanker carrying approximately two million barrels of Kuwaiti crude oil, also turned back near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz.

The diversions followed attacks Tuesday that damaged a Qatari LNG tanker and a Saudi-flagged crude oil tanker near the strait, prompting maritime authorities to raise the threat level for commercial shipping to “severe.”

Oil prices rose by more than three percent after Washington announced it was revoking a key license that had allowed Iran to sell crude oil and petroleum products on international markets under the temporary ceasefire arrangement.

The U.S. Treasury had issued the license on June 22, permitting transactions involving Iranian crude and petrochemical exports until Aug. 21. The Treasury has now ordered companies to wind down those transactions by July 17.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned the move as a violation of the ceasefire framework and warned that Washington would bear responsibility for the consequences.

In a statement issued Wednesday, the ministry said Iran would take any measures it considered necessary to protect its national interests and security.

Although Tehran denied responsibility for the latest attacks on commercial vessels, Qatar accused Iran of striking ships operating near the Strait of Hormuz, including the LNG tanker Al Rekayyat, which reportedly suffered a drone strike that ignited a fire in its engine room. All crew members were reported safe and were being evacuated.

Iran rejected Qatar’s accusations, saying it remained committed to its obligations while warning that commercial vessels using routes not coordinated with Iranian authorities could face heightened risks.

A second U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that initial intelligence indicated Iran had fired on three commercial vessels.

Analysts say Iran’s efforts to tighten its control over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz could significantly alter regional security dynamics in one of the world’s most strategically important maritime corridors.

The latest escalation came as large crowds gathered in the holy city of Qom to mourn Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, who was killed alongside members of his family on the opening day of the war.

The ceasefire had been intended to provide a 60-day window for indirect negotiations toward a permanent agreement, but talks held in Qatar last week ended without significant progress.

U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to resume military action unless Iran agrees to what he described as a final deal.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said negotiations on a permanent agreement could not move forward while military threats continued.