In a new phase of escalation, Iran launched retaliatory strikes against US military bases in Bahrain and Kuwait , according to Iranian state media.
The strikes targeted the headquarters of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain and an American military base in Kuwait, reports said. Iranian media said the attack caused a fire at the Fifth Fleet headquarters. It also shared videos showing the strike on the US base in Kuwait and called it a base of “American terrorists”.
Explosions were heard in Bahrain’s capital, Manama, following the activation of air raid sirens, warning residents of a possible incoming attack. Bahrain’s Interior Ministry confirmed that the warning systems had been triggered after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) threatened retaliation against the United States.
“The siren has been sounded. Citizens and residents are urged to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place,” the interior ministry said in a post on X.
In Kuwait, the country’s military said its air defence systems were responding to incoming threats. “The General Staff of the Army said that any explosions heard were the result of air defence systems intercepting hostile attacks,” the military said in a post on X, without identifying where the missiles or drones had originated from.
The developments followed a warning from the IRGC that Tehran would deliver a “crushing response” after new US strikes on Iranian targets.
US launches fresh strikes on Iran
The latest exchange came hours after the United States carried out another round of strikes on Iran, claiming the operation was aimed at protecting shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz.
The US military said the strikes were a response to attacks on three cargo ships travelling through the strategic waterway on Tuesday (July 7). The operation was announced shortly after US President Donald Trump said the ceasefire agreement with Iran was “over”.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees American military operations in the Middle East, said its forces had begun new attacks against Iran.
“U.S. Central Command forces have started conducting additional strikes against Iran to further degrade their ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,” the CENTCOM said in a post on X.
“The United States is holding Iran accountable for recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping and civilian crews freely navigating a vital international waterway,” it added.
A US official told Reuters that Wednesday’s operation would involve more strikes than the previous day’s attacks.
Trump warns of tougher response
Trump described the US strikes as retaliation for attacks on commercial vessels and warned Iran against further action.
“This is in retribution for yesterday’s bombing of ships by Iran. If it happens again, it will get much worse!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social.
The Strait of Hormuz has become the centre of the latest confrontation. Around one-fifth of world oil supplies passed through the waterway before the war began with the United States and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. Washington has blamed Tehran for attacks on cargo ships, although Iran has not accepted responsibility.
The new wave of military action has also cast uncertainty over the future of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed on June 17, which had raised hopes of a possible end to the war.
Asked before the NATO summit in Turkey whether the agreement was effectively finished, Trump said, “It’s a very interesting question. To me, I think it’s over. I don’t want to deal with them.”
“If we make a deal with Iran, I am not sure that will stick. I found them to be very dishonourable people,” he later said.
Despite his remarks, the US president said he did not expect the conflict to turn into a war and suggested that any further escalation could be short-lived.
“Anything that happens is going to be over very quickly … and will only make it safer, including for oil,” he said.
