Kuwait and Bahrain targeted by Iran after exchange of fire with US
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Iran fired ballistic missiles and drones at Bahrain and Kuwait on Saturday, hours after the US struck Iranian radar sites and shot down Iranian drones over the Gulf. Air raid sirens blared across Bahrain as civilians sheltered in place, marking the latest escalation in a series of military exchanges that threaten to fracture an already fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran. The tit-for-tat strikes, each side claiming defensive action, have drawn neighboring Gulf states into direct crossfire, raising fears the regional tension could spiral beyond current control.
The U.S. said its forces intercepted several Iranian ballistic missiles aimed at Kuwait and Bahrain, which were fired after the American military shot down drones and targeted Iranian radar sites, in another escalation that threatens a shaky ceasefire in the region.
On Saturday, the U.S. forces said they intercepted six or seven missiles fired by Tehran against Persian Gulf states. Iran earlier had sent drones toward the Strait of Hormuz, which posed “an immediate threat” to maritime traffic in the crucials shipping channel. A seventh Iranian missile did not reach its target, according to initial assessments from U.S. Central Command.
A ceasefire has been in place since April, but talks between Washington and Tehran toward opening the Strait of Hormuz, which is a vital route for global oil and gas shipments, are floundering.
The exchange of fire on Friday came days after renewed strikes between the U.S. and Iran. According to the BBC, one person was killed and dozens injured in an Iranian drone strike on Kuwait’s international airport earlier this week, with the U.S. retaliating with what it called “self-defense” strikes on Iran.
Iran has repeatedly targeted Kuwait and Bahrain, where U.S. bases are located.
With talks between Iran and the U.S. stalling, navigation in the Strait of Hormuz remains sharply reduced, causing a lasting spike in oil prices.
But even as hostilities continue between the two countries, Washington has granted visas to Iran’s World Cup football team, ahead of the first match in Los Angeles this month.
In another sign of continued regional instability, Israel carried out strikes in southern Lebanon after the militant group Hezbollah rejected a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.
Meanwhile, a seven-month-old baby was killed by Israeli gunfire in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry said. The ministry identified the infant as Sam Fahd Abu Haikal, adding that his parents were also injured in the shooting in the Tel Rumeida area, south of the city of Hebron.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that on Friday “in the area of Hebron, IDF soldiers perceived a vehicle accelerating toward them” and one of the troops “responded with single shots toward the vehicle.”
“As a result, three Palestinians were injured and evacuated for medical treatment,” the IDF said in a post on social media, adding that “the incident is under review.” It also expressed “deep sorrow for any harm caused to uninvolved individuals.”