Iran strikes US bases in Bahrain, Kuwait as Hormuz ceasefire collapses

TEHRAN (Somaliguardian) – Iran’s Revolutionary Guard announced on Wednesday that it had struck United States military installations in Bahrain and Kuwait, hours after Washington launched a fresh round of airstrikes against Iranian territory — a rapid escalation that has pushed the fragile ceasefire between the two nations closer to collapse than at any point since it was signed.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said its forces carried out a coordinated missile-and-drone strike on the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters at Bahrain’s Port Salman and on the Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait. The Guard also claimed to have shot down a US MQ-9 reconnaissance drone that it said attempted to disrupt the operation.

Air raid sirens wailed across both Gulf states as their militaries scrambled to intercept the incoming fire. Kuwait’s armed forces confirmed their air defences were actively engaging “hostile” missiles and drones, though neither Washington nor the Pentagon had issued an immediate response by the time of publication.

Washington Strikes First, Then Pulls Iran’s Oil Lifeline

The retaliation followed a wave of American strikes on Iranian territory and a decision by Washington to revoke a license that had permitted Iran to sell oil on international markets — both moves framed as punishment for a string of attacks on commercial tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

US Central Command said its forces struck more than 60 vessels belonging to the Revolutionary Guard, describing the operation as a deliberate effort to make Iran pay a heavy price for what it called violations of the ceasefire in the strait. In a statement, CENTCOM accused Iranian forces of “unwarranted aggression” that endangers freedom of navigation through one of the world’s most critical oil corridors.

Speaking ahead of a NATO leaders’ summit in Ankara, Secretary-General Mark Rutte backed the American response, calling it essential given Iran’s alleged breach of the truce. He argued that a forceful US reaction was necessary once Iran began violating the ceasefire it had agreed to honour.

Tehran Vows a “Crushing Response”

Iran’s top military command, the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, denounced the American strikes as a blatant act of aggression and promised a crushing response, warning Washington against interfering in how Tehran manages traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, one of Iran’s senior negotiators, accused the United States of breaching the truce on multiple fronts — citing the fresh military strikes, the reinstatement of oil sanctions, alleged violations of Iran’s own navigational rules in the strait, and continuing Israeli operations in Lebanon. “The era of bullying and extortion is over,” he wrote on X. “We don’t fold.”

Explosions Reported Along Iran’s Southern Coast

Iranian state media reported explosions on Kharg Island — the country’s principal oil export terminal, responsible for roughly 90 percent of its crude shipments — as well as on Qeshm Island and in the southern port cities of Sirik and Bandar Abbas. State broadcaster Press TV said several blasts were heard on Kharg Island specifically, though CENTCOM’s own statement made no mention of strikes there.

A US official told Reuters the American strikes targeted Iranian air-defence systems, coastal surveillance networks, surface-to-air missiles, anti-ship cruise missiles, and drone-launch sites. No civilian deaths were reported inside Iran, though state television said several people were wounded by shrapnel after an “enemy projectile” struck a commercial pier in Sirik. Fishing piers in both Sirik and Bandar Abbas were also reportedly damaged.

A Ceasefire Already on Life Support

Wednesday’s exchange marks the latest in a series of jolts to the US-Iran ceasefire reached last month, which had paused a broader conflict ignited by joint American and Israeli strikes across Iranian territory.

The truce suffered a serious blow on Tuesday when Washington moved to strip Iran of a key economic concession: the ability to sell crude and petrochemical products on international markets. The US Treasury had issued a general license on 22 June permitting such sales through 21 August; its abrupt revocation gives Iran only until 17 July to unwind any pending transactions. Oil prices jumped more than 3 percent on news of the decision.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry called the move a violation of the broader framework agreement meant to end the war and warned that Washington would bear responsibility for whatever follows, saying Tehran would take “any measure it deemed necessary” to protect its national security.

Tankers Under Fire, Blame Traded Over the Strait

While Tehran denies responsibility for the recent tanker attacks, Qatar has publicly blamed Iran for strikes on several vessels, including the Qatari LNG carrier Al Rekayyat, which was reportedly hit by a drone that ignited a fire in its engine room. Its crew was evacuated safely. A Saudi-flagged crude tanker believed to be the supertanker Wedyan was also damaged off the coast of Oman, though the cause remains unconfirmed.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry called Qatar’s accusation “perplexing,” insisting Tehran was meeting its commitments in full — while still cautioning that commercial vessels travelling routes not coordinated with Iran faced risk. A second, unnamed US official told Reuters early indications suggested Iranian forces had fired on three commercial ships.

Analysts say Tehran’s willingness to strike shipping traffic reflects its determination to preserve leverage over the strait as negotiations for a lasting settlement continue — leverage that has allowed a comparatively smaller power to force a prolonged standoff with the world’s most formidable military.

Mourning a Slain Supreme Leader, Bracing for What Comes Next

The latest strikes came as vast crowds gathered in the holy city of Qom to mourn Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed alongside his daughter, granddaughter, son-in-law, and daughter-in-law on the opening day of the war.

The original ceasefire had been designed to open a 60-day window for negotiating a permanent settlement, but indirect talks hosted in Qatar broke down last week without progress. President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned he would resume bombing unless Tehran commits to “make a deal,” while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has said that under the terms of the interim memorandum, talks on a final agreement will not resume “if threats continue.”

With both sides trading strikes and ultimatums, the coming days are expected to determine whether the truce can be salvaged — or whether the Gulf is headed back toward full-scale war.

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