WASHINGTON/TEHRAN – Web Desk: The fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran appeared to shatter on Wednesday as Iran launched retaliatory missile and drone attacks on American military bases in Bahrain and Kuwait, following a new round of U.S. airstrikes.
The U.S. military confirmed it struck more than 80 targets in Iran, including air-defense systems, coastal radar sites, and over 60 small boats belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Washington said the strikes were a response to Iranian attacks on three commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, calling it “a clear violation of the ceasefire”.
Iranian Retaliation and Regional Alerts
In response, the IRGC announced it had targeted 85 U.S. military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait, including the headquarters of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet and the Ali Al Salem air base. Kuwait’s military said it intercepted two ballistic missiles and 13 drones, though shrapnel damaged some power lines. Air raid sirens sounded in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar, with Qatar issuing a high-security alert urging residents to stay indoors.
Iranian state media reported explosions in several locations, including Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island, and the port city of Sirik.
Trump’s Warning
President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social: “This is in retribution for yesterday’s bombing of ships by Iran. If it happens again, it will get much worse!” He had also previously warned that any renewed fighting would end “very quickly” and that Iran would face much harsher consequences.
Context and Escalation
The exchange threatens to collapse the 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in June, which was meant to extend the ceasefire and eventually reopen the crucial waterway for global oil shipments. Iranian officials, including chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, accused the U.S. of violating the MoU.
