The Middle East conflict intensified dramatically on Monday as Iran's Revolutionary Guards launched strikes against US military targets across multiple countries, while Gulf states Kuwait and Bahrain came under attack. The escalation threatens to further destabilize global oil shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway through which a fifth of all oil and natural gas traded once passed in peacetime.
Iran Strikes US Military Installations in Kuwait and Jordan
Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed responsibility for attacks on US military targets in Kuwait, including what they described as the complete destruction of an early-warning radar system in a drone strike. In a separate attack, the Guards alleged they struck an equipment and aircraft parts warehouse and an MQ-9 drone hangar at Ali Al Salem Air Base, setting several drones on fire, according to state news agency IRNA.
Kuwait's military confirmed its air defenses were engaging hostile drone attacks following Iranian aggression. The Kuwait Army stated on its official X account that any explosions heard were the result of air defense systems intercepting incoming attacks.
The Guards also claimed to have targeted US military aircraft stationed at Aqaba Airport in Jordan. According to Iran's state broadcaster, American heavy transport aircraft and command and control aircraft were targeted with ballistic missiles, causing what the Guards described as severe damage to a number of them.
Additionally, the Guards announced a surprise attack on what they called an enemy special operations command center in the Al-Tanf region of Syria, described as retaliation for fallen Iranian soldiers from Iranshahr, a city in southeast Iran.
US Continues Airstrike Campaign Against Iran
The US military's Central Command said it had completed its ninth consecutive evening of strikes against Iran, targeting Iranian military command centers, air defense and coastal surveillance sites, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and communications networks.
US strikes overnight in northwestern Iran killed at least one person and wounded several others near Tabriz, according to Majid Farshi, head of crisis management of East Azerbaijan province, quoted by IRNA. Iranian state media also reported explosions being heard in southern and northwestern Iran. There was no immediate word from Iran on full casualties or damage.
President Donald Trump said the latest strikes were carried out in honor of US service members killed in recent days. Speaking to reporters as he returned to Washington following the World Cup final, Trump said the US was hitting Iran "very hard" and that those who died were fighting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
The US also announced the death of another service member, killed in northern Iraq on Saturday during the controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian drone.
Strait of Hormuz Becomes Flashpoint as Oil Tankers Targeted
The Strait of Hormuz has emerged as a critical front in the conflict. Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed that two oil tankers had exploded and been immobilized after attempting to transit what they described as an unsafe southern route through the strait. The Guards alleged the vessels had been encouraged by the US military to use the passage.
The Guards warned that the waterway would remain unsafe as long as US military actions in the region continued, stating it would not be safe for petrochemical products or "a single drop of oil and gas" to transit. They also warned the US military to prepare for a "punitive operation."