The Iranian military launched drone and missile attacks targeting Bahrain and Kuwait on Sunday, shortly after the United States conducted airstrikes on Iranian positions, throwing the fragile ceasefire into doubt. Tehran has warned that negotiations with Washington will come to a "complete halt" if the US does not cease its attacks.
US Airstrikes on Iranian Targets
Overnight, the US military announced that "fighter jets conducted strikes tonight on 10 Iranian military targets at multiple locations in and near the Strait of Hormuz" in retaliation for Iranian attacks on shipping. The strikes targeted surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defence sites, drone storage facilities, and minelayer capabilities, according to US Central Command.
President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that the US had "struck Iranian missile and drone storage locations, and coastal radar sites, for violating the Cease Fire Agreement, AGAIN!" He warned that if the US is forced to "militarily complete the job," then "the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist!"
Iranian Retaliation Against Bahrain and Kuwait
In response, Iran launched ballistic missiles and drones at Bahrain and Kuwait. The Kuwaiti military reported that air defences detected and intercepted two ballistic missiles and Iranian drones on Sunday morning, with no injuries or damage reported. Kuwait hosts a major US army base.
Bahrain's Interior Ministry confirmed that Iranian strikes damaged a residential building near the international airport, but no one was killed. Photographs released by the ministry showed the building filled with rubble and windows blown out. The US Navy’s 5th Fleet is based in Bahrain, which has come under repeated attack during the conflict.
Diplomatic Fallout
Bahrain's Foreign Ministry issued a statement denouncing "a dangerous escalation that reveals that what Tehran is doing is not a passing act, nor an isolated incident, but rather a deliberate approach and a systematic pattern of repeated aggression against the sovereignty of the kingdom, and the security of its citizens and residents."
The attacks follow a series of exchanges between the US and Iran. On Saturday, an Iranian drone struck the Panamanian-flagged tanker Kiku, which carried crude oil for Qatar's state-run energy company. The vessel was attempting to use an alternative route near the coast of Oman, bypassing Iranian-controlled waters. The US retaliated with strikes on Sunday, and a similar incident occurred days earlier when an Iranian drone hit a merchant vessel off Oman, prompting US retaliation.
Strait of Hormuz Tensions
Tehran has twice attacked vessels in the Strait of Hormuz recently, claiming it must have direct control over the strait's reopening. A multinational maritime body overseen by the US Navy had announced plans to increase traffic into and out of the strait, but Iran insists it must manage the flow. The ongoing tit-for-tat strikes threaten to derail ceasefire negotiations between the two nations.
