The conflict between the United States and Iran has escalated sharply after Iran launched retaliatory missile and drone attacks on US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait, hours after American forces carried out extensive strikes on Iranian military targets and reinstated sanctions on Iranian oil exports.
The latest exchange has heightened fears of a wider regional conflict and renewed concerns over the security of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global energy supplies.
According to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), missiles and drones were fired at 85 US military installations across Bahrain and Kuwait, including a US Navy headquarters and an American air base. Iranian state media also claimed that an American MQ-9 drone was shot down during the operation.
Kuwait confirmed that its air defence systems intercepted incoming missiles and drones but did not identify the source of the attack or report significant damage.
The Iranian retaliation followed large-scale US military strikes targeting more than 80 locations across Iran. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the operation focused on air defence systems, command-and-control infrastructure, missile launch sites and anti-ship capabilities. It also targeted more than 60 small boats belonging to the IRGC operating in and around the Strait of Hormuz, saying the objective was to reduce Iran's ability to threaten international commercial shipping.
Washington said the military action was a direct response to attacks on three commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, including a Saudi oil tanker and a Qatari liquefied natural gas carrier. Although Tehran has not formally accepted responsibility for those incidents, both Saudi Arabia and Qatar have blamed Iran for targeting their vessels.
Iranian authorities described the US attacks as a serious breach of previous understandings reached between the two countries. Iranian military leaders characterised the American operation as an act of aggression and warned against any attempt by Washington to interfere in Iran's role in the Strait of Hormuz.
The confrontation has also disrupted diplomatic efforts aimed at reducing tensions. Talks between Washington and Tehran have been suspended until after the funeral ceremonies for Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed during the opening phase of the recent US-Israeli military campaign against Iran.
Adding to the pressure, the Trump administration revoked a sanctions waiver that had temporarily allowed Iranian oil exports under a previous ceasefire arrangement. Tehran criticised the move as evidence that Washington had failed to honour earlier commitments.
The latest military exchanges rattled global energy markets. Brent crude oil climbed nearly 5 percent to above $76 a barrel, its highest level in two weeks, reflecting renewed fears that escalating hostilities could disrupt oil and gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of the world's petroleum trade passes.
With military operations intensifying, diplomatic negotiations stalled and commercial shipping increasingly vulnerable, analysts warn that the risk of prolonged instability across the Gulf region has risen significantly, posing fresh challenges for global energy security and financial markets.