Iran strikes US sites as truce falters

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they fired missiles and drones at US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait on Wednesday, widening a confrontation that has put a fragile ceasefire under severe strain after US strikes on Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the operation hit sites linked to the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain and Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait. It also claimed to have shot down a US MQ-9 drone that it said had attempted to disrupt the attack. The extent of damage and casualties, if any, could not be independently verified, while Gulf authorities activated air-defence systems and warned residents to follow official safety instructions.

The exchange followed a wave of US strikes on Iranian coastal and military positions in Hormuzgan province, including areas around Sirik, Qeshm and Bandar Abbas. Washington said the action was a response to attacks on commercial vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, including tankers and a Qatari LNG carrier. Tehran denied responsibility for the shipping attacks and accused the US of breaching the ceasefire framework reached last month.

The strikes mark one of the most serious tests of the truce since the June 17 understanding that paused weeks of direct conflict. That arrangement was designed to reopen diplomatic channels over Iran’s nuclear programme, shipping access through Hormuz and limited relief on oil-related sanctions. The new military actions have revived concerns that both sides are moving back towards sustained confrontation rather than controlled deterrence.

Bahrain hosts the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, a key command for operations across the Gulf, Red Sea and parts of the Arabian Sea. Kuwait’s Ali Al Salem Air Base has long supported US and coalition air operations. Both locations are central to Washington’s regional military posture, making them high-value targets for Iran’s retaliation while also raising the risk of further US response.

Iran framed its action as a direct answer to US strikes on its territory. The Revolutionary Guards said the attacks were aimed at “military installations” used to support operations against Iran. The wording suggested Tehran was trying to present the operation as controlled and retaliatory, rather than an open-ended escalation. Still, the choice of targets in two Gulf states broadens the crisis beyond Iranian and US territory and increases pressure on regional governments.

US forces in the Gulf had been on heightened alert after the tanker incidents. The Strait of Hormuz remains the world’s most sensitive energy chokepoint, with roughly a fifth of global petroleum liquids and a major share of LNG trade historically passing through the waterway. Even limited attacks around the strait can drive up shipping insurance, delay cargoes and raise fuel costs for import-dependent economies.

Oil markets responded sharply to the renewed exchange. Brent crude moved above $76 a barrel and US West Texas Intermediate traded above $72, reflecting a fresh geopolitical risk premium after prices had eased when the ceasefire appeared to be holding. Shipping companies were reviewing routes and risk exposure, while energy traders watched whether Gulf export terminals, tanker traffic and naval escorts would be affected.

The military escalation also complicates diplomacy led through regional intermediaries. Oman and Pakistan had played roles in efforts to keep communication channels open, while Gulf governments had pushed for de-escalation to protect trade and energy flows. Those efforts now face a tougher environment as Washington and Tehran accuse each other of violating the terms and spirit of the pause in fighting.

The tanker attacks that triggered the US response involved commercial vessels operating near one of the busiest maritime corridors in the world. The incidents prompted warnings from maritime security agencies and insurers, while several shipowners reassessed transits through Hormuz. Qatar’s energy exports are particularly sensitive to disruption because LNG cargoes from Ras Laffan rely heavily on Gulf shipping lanes.

The latest phase of fighting comes at a politically charged moment in Iran, where the leadership is under pressure to show resolve after heavy losses earlier in the conflict. The Revolutionary Guards remain a central actor in Iran’s military response, with control over missile, drone and naval capabilities that can threaten US forces and commercial shipping across the Gulf.