Iran and the US traded fire on Sunday, each accusing the other of violating a ceasefire as missile and drone strikes targeted American military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait and tensions over the Strait of Hormuz escalated.
The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it carried out coordinated strikes between 2:00 and 3:00am, launching missiles and drones at eight targets it described as US military infrastructure in the Gulf.
Among the sites it named were Ali Al Salem air base in Kuwait and facilities linked to the US Fifth Fleet at Bahrain’s Port Salman.
Bahrain reported air raid sirens before and after dawn, while Kuwait said its air defences were responding to “hostile missile and drone threats”.
There were no reported US casualties or significant damage, an American official told Reuters, adding however that the situation was still unfolding.
The IRGC said the operation was a “decisive missile and drone response to US aggression” and accused Washington of acting as a “violating enemy” under the pretext of confronting Iranian naval activity in the Strait of Hormuz.
It warned maritime enforcement in the strait would be tightened, saying foreign vessels could face tougher treatment for violations and raising the risk to commercial shipping routes through the Gulf.
The exchange followed two days of US strikes on Iranian targets, which Washington said were carried out in response to Iranian attacks on vessels in and near the Strait of Hormuz.
The US military's Central Command said its fighter jets struck 10 Iranian military targets near the strait, including air defence systems, communications infrastructure, radar installations and drone storage facilities. It released footage of multiple explosions at target sites.
US President Donald Trump accused Tehran of breaching a ceasefire understanding and warned the US could escalate further if attacks continued.
In a post on social media, he said strikes had been carried out “for violating the cease fire agreement, again!” and warned: “There may come a point when we are no longer able to be reasonable … If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist!”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry rejected the accusation, saying US and Israeli strikes had violated the ceasefire understanding and worsened regional instability.
It said Washington had “imposed an illegal and criminal war against Iran” and insisted that any arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz and wider Gulf must respect Iran’s sovereignty and interests.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi travelled to Baghdad on Sunday for talks with Iraqi officials focused on bilateral relations and regional coordination, according to his Telegram channel.
Bahrain condemns what it called the "renewed Iranian aggression on its territories with a number of ballistic missiles and drones". In a post on X, it's Foreign Ministry said Tehran's continued "defiance of the international will necessitates a firm stance". It called on the UN Security Council to hold an emergency session and fulfill its responsibilities in ensuring the implementation of Resolution 2817.
Kuwait condemned what it called "the repeated sinful Iranian aggressions, saying they were a "flagrant violation" of its sovereignty and a breach of international law and the UN Charter. In a statement, its Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the continuation of these " brazen aggressions undermines efforts to de-escalate tensions".
A top shipping executive warned that mines in the strait could keep traffic below half of pre-war levels for months even if a US-Iran ceasefire holds, citing extremely narrow safe corridors and persistent security constraints, The Financial Times reported.
“The routes available for navigation are extremely limited — they’re very narrow corridors,” Takaya Soga, chief executive of Japan’s NYK Line, was quoted as saying. “We’re still nowhere near returning to conditions before the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.”
The escalation in the Gulf came as separate Israeli drone strikes hit southern Lebanon despite a newly signed framework agreement.
