The United States launched new strikes on Iran Wednesday night, aiming to weaken its control over the Strait of Hormuz. In response, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps on Thursday targeted US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain.
Tehran insists on its right to charge fees on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, a claim rejected by Washington. It also threatens ships that deviate from the designated shipping lane along its coast. On Tuesday, at least three commercial vessels were targeted, according to the US military.
US President Donald Trump stated in a post on Truth Social, “This is in retribution for yesterday’s bombing of ships by Iran. If it happens again, it will get much worse!”
The US Central Command said they had struck approximately 90 military targets, including missile and drone storage as well as military logistics sites along Iran’s coastline. It added additional strikes were to further degrade their ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. “The United States is holding Iran accountable for recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping and civilian crews freely navigating a vital international waterway.”
In Iran, explosions were heard in multiple locations along the Iranian coast as the United States launched new strikes on Iran late Wednesday, state media said.
Warplanes were heard over Kish Island and multiple explosions rocked the port cities of Bandar Abbas, Konarak and Chabahar, part of which lost electricity, Iran’s official news agency IRNA reported.
In Bushehr, home to Iran’s only civilian nuclear power plant, a military base was bombed, according to a local official. A railway bridge in Golestan province in the north of the country was also targeted, according to several media outlets.
In Khuzestan province, three people were killed and others injured in the US airstrikes, according to local authorities.
The US strikes also led to the suspension of train service on the railway line between the capital, Tehran, and the northeastern city of Mashhad, according to state television.
In response to these strikes, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards announced it had launched missile and drone attacks on the US bases of Arifjan and Ali Al Salem in Kuwait, and the bases of Juffair and Sheikh Isa in Bahrain. The Guards also threatened to expand its response to include other bases in the region if Washington carries out further strikes, according to a statement broadcast on state television.
In Kuwait, the army announced it had intercepted missiles and drones, while several explosions were heard in Bahrain, prompting authorities to sound air raid sirens twice. In Qatar, residents also received a brief security alert.
Amid this escalation, Iranian Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stated that the Strait of Hormuz will only be opened under “Iranian arrangements.”
In a post on the X platform, he added, “The United States still hasn’t learned that bullying and breaking promises are no longer cost-free. Let me put it plainly: if you strike, you’ll get hit.”
Both Qatar and Pakistan called for respect for the memorandum of understanding signed on June 17, which they mediated, and for de-escalation efforts.
The exchange of strikes led to a surge in oil prices, with Brent crude jumping more than 7% on Wednesday and continuing its upward trend on Thursday in Asian markets, rising by more than 1% to reach $78.85 per barrel. Washington reinstated sanctions on Iranian oil on Tuesday, after having lifted them after the signing of the memorandum of understanding.
This escalation coincides with the funeral procession for Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed on the first day of the war. His burial is scheduled for Thursday in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad. (AFP)
