The fragile calm in the Middle East has shattered once again.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Wednesday that it launched coordinated missile and drone attacks on United States military installations in Bahrain and Kuwait, describing the operation as retaliation for a fresh wave of American strikes on Iranian targets.
The latest escalation marks one of the most serious confrontations between Tehran and Washington in recent weeks, raising fears that the conflict could spread further across the Gulf.
The IRGC said the operation targeted key American military facilities, including the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain’s Fifth Naval District at Bandar Salman and the Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait.
The IRGC also claimed its forces shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper drone during the operation, although there was no immediate independent confirmation of the claim.
As the attacks unfolded, air raid sirens reportedly echoed across Bahrain and Kuwait, prompting both countries to activate emergency defence systems.
Military authorities in Kuwait confirmed that the country’s air defence units had intercepted what they described as hostile missiles and drones approaching its territory.
Bahrain also acknowledged activating its air defence systems as authorities monitored the unfolding security situation.
Neither government immediately released details on casualties or the extent of any damage caused by the attacks.
Iran’s retaliation followed fresh military operations carried out by the United States against Iranian targets earlier in the day.
Washington said the strikes were a response to recent attacks on three commercial oil tankers navigating the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important maritime trade routes.
The United States also tightened economic pressure on Tehran by revoking a licence that had previously allowed Iran to export oil under specific conditions.
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that its operation struck more than 60 vessels belonging to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
According to CENTCOM, the action was intended to protect international shipping routes following what it described as Iranian aggression against commercial maritime traffic.
“The unwarranted aggression by Iranian forces is a clear and dangerous violation of the ceasefire and undermines freedom of navigation,” the command said in a statement.
The latest military exchange represents a significant setback to the already fragile ceasefire that had temporarily halted weeks of direct confrontation between both countries.
The ceasefire had been expected to create a 60-day window for indirect negotiations aimed at reaching a broader agreement between Washington and Tehran.
However, diplomatic talks held in Qatar last week ended without a breakthrough, leaving both sides deeply divided.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has since warned that negotiations cannot move forward while military threats continue.
According to reports, Araqchi insisted that meaningful dialogue would remain impossible unless pressure on Iran was eased.
The renewed conflict immediately sent shockwaves through global energy markets.
Brent crude prices climbed more than two per cent as traders reacted to growing fears that the escalating conflict could disrupt oil supplies passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
Brent futures rose by $1.73, or 2.52 per cent, to trade at $70.28 per barrel.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most critical energy corridors, with roughly one-fifth of global oil shipments passing through the narrow waterway.
As missiles fly and diplomatic efforts stall, concerns are mounting that the latest confrontation between Iran and the United States could trigger wider instability across the Middle East and place further pressure on global energy markets.