Iran targets sites in Bahrain, Kuwait after wave of US strikes
The US had launched strikes on Iran on Tuesday, after three commercial vessels were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz.
Traffic moves past the Iranian national flag displayed on a building at Enghelab square in Tehran, Iran, on Jun 14, 2026. (File photo: AFP)
Read a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC) said it targeted United States military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait on Wednesday (Jul 8) after the US launched a wave of military strikes on Iran in response to attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.
In the latest blow to the fragile ceasefire agreement, the IRGC said it carried out a joint missile and drone operation against 85 key US military sites in Bandar Salman, Bahrain’s Fifth Naval District and Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, and shot down a US MQ9 drone attempting to interfere in the operation.
Air raid sirens sounded in Bahrain and Kuwait, officials said. The Kuwaiti army said air defences were confronting “hostile” missile and drone attacks.
The US earlier unleashed fresh military strikes and revoked a licence allowing Iran to sell oil in response to attacks on three tankers in the strait.
Guess Word
Crack the word, one row at a time
Buzzword
Create words using the given letters
Mini Sudoku
Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser
Mini Crossword
Small grid, big challenge
Word Search
Spot as many words as you can
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said more than 60 small boats of the IRGC were among the targets hit, in a bid to impose a high cost on Iran for strikes on shipping in violation of the ceasefire.
“The unwarranted aggression by Iranian forces is a clear and dangerous violation of the ceasefire and undermines freedom of navigation,” CENTCOM said in a statement.
Iran’s top joint military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, condemned the US strikes as a “blatant act of aggression”, threatened a “crushing response” and warned that Tehran would not allow US interference in the management of the strait.
A top Iranian negotiator, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, accused the US of breaching the ceasefire agreement.
He cited not only the latest US military strikes, but renewed oil sanctions, violations of Iranian “adjustments” in the Strait of Hormuz, and Israeli attacks against Lebanon.
“The era of bullying and extortion is over,” Qalibaf said in a post on X. “,We don’t fold.”
OIL PRICES RISE
In a potentially major blow to that agreement, Washington moved on Tuesday to withdraw a key concession that had allowed Iran to sell oil on international markets.
Oil prices rose more than 3 per cent after the US announced the move.
A US official said earlier that negotiators continued to work in good faith toward a final agreement with Iran.
But control of the strait has given Tehran immense leverage, effectively allowing it to force a stalemate with the world’s most powerful military.
Analysts say Tehran uses attacks on ships to underscore that leverage as it negotiates a long-term peace deal with the US.
Under the interim US-Iran agreement, the US Treasury issued a Jun 22 general licence to allow the sale of crude oil and petrochemical and petroleum products of Iranian origin through Aug 21.
In revoking that licence on Tuesday, it gave Iran until Jul 17 to wind down any transactions.
ANY MEASURE NECESSARY
Iran’s foreign ministry condemned the move as a breach of the framework agreement to end the war and said Washington would bear responsibility for the consequences.
The ministry said early on Wednesday that Iran would take any measure it deemed necessary to safeguard its interests and national security.
While Tehran denied responsibility for the latest strikes on ships in the strait, Qatar blamed Iran for attacking the vessels, including the huge Qatari liquefied natural gas tanker, the Al Rekayyat, which reported being struck by a drone that caused a fire in its engine room. The crew were safe and being evacuated.
A Saudi-flagged crude oil tanker, believed to be the supertanker Wedyan, was also damaged off Oman, maritime security sources said. The cause was not immediately clear.
Iran’s foreign ministry said Qatar’s accusations were perplexing and that Tehran was diligently fulfilling its commitments. Even so, it said commercial vessels faced risks for using routes not coordinated with Iran.
A second US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said initial indications were that Iran had fired at three commercial vessels.
Iran’s clerical rulers aim to install a permanent system to collect fees in what would amount to a huge shift of the balance of power in a region where Washington has long acted as guarantor of security.
The US strikes came after huge crowds mourned Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the holy city of Qom.
Khamenei was killed with his daughter, granddaughter, son-in-law and daughter-in-law on the war’s first day.
The ceasefire was intended to provide a 60-day window for negotiations on a permanent agreement, but indirect talks in Qatar ended last week with no sign of headway.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to resume bombing unless Iran agrees to “make a deal”.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that under the terms of the interim ceasefire memorandum, negotiations on the final deal would “not commence if threats continue”.
Source: Agencies/rl
Sign up for our newsletters
Get the CNA app
Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories
Get WhatsApp alerts
Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
About The Author
