Iran attacks Bahrain, Kuwait following U.S. strikes, threatens to end talks to end war

Iran Attacks Bahrain, Kuwait Following U.S. Strikes, Threatens to End Talks to End War

Iran launched drone and missile attacks against Bahrain and Kuwait on Sunday, following new U.S. Airstrikes against the Islamic Republic. The paramilitary Revolutionary Guard claimed responsibility for the strikes, warning that a complete halt to negotiations to end the war could occur if Washington continues its attacks.

The escalation follows a period of crossfire sparked by efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz without Iranian oversight. A multinational maritime body overseen by the U.S. Navy announced Saturday that it would expand a route near Oman for inbound and outbound traffic. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reiterated Sunday that Tehran alone must govern the strait, a narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf that once carried a fifth of the world's oil and natural gas.

"Any attempt to establish new or separate arrangements from those currently being carried out by the Islamic Republic of Iran will only lead to further complications, delay the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and increase the level of tension,"

Abbas Araghchi, Iranian Foreign Minister, via AP

While the global community considers the strait an international waterway, it is located in the territorial waters of Oman and Iran. In recent days, Iran has twice attacked vessels using a route on the Omani side during a United Nations-backed evacuation effort.

Impact on Gulf States and U.S. Bases

In Kuwait, which hosts a major U.S. Military base, air defenses intercepted Iranian drones and two ballistic missiles shortly after U.S. Strikes occurred in Iran. Kuwaiti authorities reported no injuries or damage.

In Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, the strikes damaged a residential eight-story building near the international airport. Photos released by the Interior Ministry showed the top floor destroyed and windows blown out, though no one was killed. Bahrain's Foreign Ministry described the event as a dangerous escalation and a systematic pattern of repeated aggression.

Further regional instability was reported by Qatar on Sunday, which stated a civilian was killed and another person injured by shrapnel related to military operations in the area after a vessel failed to return on schedule Saturday.

U.S. Retaliation and Presidential Response

The U.S. Military's Central Command stated it struck 10 Iranian targets — including surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defense sites, drone storage facilities, and minelayer capabilities — at the direction of President Donald Trump. These strikes followed an attack on the Panamanian-flagged tanker Kiku, which was carrying crude oil for Qatar's state-run energy company. The Kiku had reportedly attempted to use the Omani route as an alternative to the route sanctioned by Iran.

President Trump accused Iran of violating the ceasefire agreement on social media, warning that the U.S. Might be forced to militarily complete the job.

"If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist!"

Donald Trump, U.S. President, via social media

The current cycle of violence began Thursday when an Iranian drone struck a merchant vessel off Oman, triggering U.S. Retaliation.

Fragile Diplomacy and the Lebanon Front

The U.S. And Iran are currently operating under a memorandum of understanding signed this month, granting them 60 days to finalize an interim deal. This deal covers the removal of a U.S. Blockade on Iranian ports, sanctions, arrangements for the strait, and the future of Iran's highly enriched uranium stockpile. Pakistan, acting as a key mediator, previously stated that talks would resume Tuesday. The Trump administration stated Sunday that technical talks remain on track.

However, the agreement requires fighting to end on all fronts, a condition threatened by ongoing conflict in Lebanon. Israel currently occupies approximately 600 square kilometers (231 square miles) of southern Lebanon as a security buffer and refuses to withdraw until the Iranian-backed Hezbollah is disarmed.

Despite a framework agreement signed last week between Israel and Lebanon to end fighting, Hezbollah, which was not party to the deal, has rejected calls to disarm. On Sunday, two Israeli strikes hit southern Lebanon in the Nabatiyeh area and Taybeh town. Overnight, Hezbollah militants killed an Israeli soldier in Deir Siryan village.

In Syria, reports indicated Israel targeted Abdin village in the Daraa province with artillery shelling Sunday evening. The provincial government of Daraa claimed residents had thrown rocks at an Israeli convoy before the shelling occurred.

Maritime Traffic Status

Despite the threat environment, the U.S.-overseen maritime body reported that commercial transits have continued uninterrupted. Over the last 72 hours, 89 transits were made, though this remains below the historical average of 138 vessels per day.