Iran, Kuwait, Bahrain hit: Is the war in the Gulf escalating again?

Missile Strikes Reported in Kuwait, Bahrain and on Iranian Island Amid US-Iran Tensions

Iranian forces launched missiles and drones toward Kuwait and Bahrain in the early hours of Wednesday, while United States forces struck a telecommunications tower on Iran’s Qeshm Island, according to statements from both sides. The exchanges occurred as diplomatic efforts to conclude the conflict between Tehran and Washington, now approaching 100 days, remained stalled.

Kuwait’s state news agency KUNA reported that Iranian missiles and drones struck the country’s international airport, causing an unspecified number of injuries, damage to facilities, and the suspension or diversion of flights. US Central Command stated that two Iranian missiles directed at Kuwait fell short or disintegrated in flight and that several ballistic missiles did not reach their intended targets. Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had launched missiles and drones at US helicopters in a regional country, understood to refer to Kuwait. It remains unclear whether the reported targets were located at the airport or whether any projectiles landed there after interception.

Tasnim also reported that the IRGC fired missiles and drones at an airbase and the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain. Sirens sounded in Bahrain during the incident. CENTCOM stated that it intercepted the projectiles aimed at Bahrain and that no US personnel or assets were harmed in the attacks on either Kuwait or Bahrain.

Prior to the Iranian launches, US forces struck a telecommunications tower on Qeshm Island in the Gulf. The island is described by some reports as containing underground missile storage facilities. CENTCOM additionally reported that US forces downed Iranian drones that had been directed at civilian ships in regional waters. Iranian state media reported that US forces struck an Iranian oil tanker near the Strait of Hormuz, damaging its engine room. Iranian media further stated that the IRGC navy responded by targeting a vessel identified as “Panaya” with missiles.

The sequence of events on Wednesday morning is presented differently by the two sides. The Trump administration has stated that it will not permit Iranian oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz while maintaining its blockade of Iranian ports and vessels. Both sides agree that Iran subsequently attempted to strike vessels in the Gulf. The United States reported shooting down the drones and then striking Qeshm Island. Iran then fired at targets in Kuwait and Bahrain.

Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the US strike on Qeshm Island as a violation of the ceasefire that took effect on April 8 following Pakistan-mediated talks. The ministry stated that Kuwait and Bahrain bore direct responsibility for the attacks because their territory and facilities had been used to support US military operations. Iran reserved the right to self-defense and indicated it would respond to future attacks by targeting their sources. Iranian media quoted the IRGC as stating that disrupting security in the Strait of Hormuz would carry a heavy price for the US military.

On Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers that the United States would provide sanctions relief only if Iran agreed to end its nuclear activity. Rubio stated during an exchange with Senator Cory Booker that the war was over. He also reported that Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is alive and increasingly involved in negotiations with Washington. Khamenei has not appeared publicly since reports of wounds sustained in earlier US-Israeli strikes that killed his predecessor, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran seeks access to billions of dollars in oil revenues, waivers on crude exports, an end to the US blockade of its ports, and continued influence over the Strait of Hormuz, which previously handled one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas traffic. Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, told Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri that Tehran could abandon talks with the United States and shift to confrontation if Israeli attacks on Lebanon continue.

After a period of reduced activity following the April 8 ceasefire, exchanges increased in recent weeks. Late on Sunday, CENTCOM reported conducting self-defense strikes on Iranian radar and drone sites in Goruk and on Qeshm Island. On the following day, Kuwait’s armed forces stated that its air defenses had confronted hostile missile and drone attacks, noting that sounds of explosions resulted from interception efforts. On May 17, authorities in Abu Dhabi reported that a single drone strike caused a fire at an electrical generator outside the perimeter of the Barakah nuclear plant in the al-Dhafra region. No injuries occurred, and radiation levels remained within normal ranges.

The temporary ceasefire had reduced large-scale operations after the conflict began in late February, during which Iran had targeted locations hosting US military facilities in several Gulf states. The latest incidents have prompted renewed concern over the possibility of renewed full-scale hostilities.