Iran announced it has launched a wave of drone and missile strikes targeting US military facilities in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan marking a severe escalation in the Middle East.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed its operations dubbed "Thunder" and "Nasr-2" successfully destroyed a US unmanned surface vessel depot and a military artificial intelligence center in Bahrain.
Regional neighbors quickly felt the fallout. Kuwait's armed forces confirmed their air defense systems intercepted "hostile" drones resulting in loud explosions. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia temporarily issued danger alerts for its Yanbu and Al-Kharj governorates before declaring the threat had passed.
The IRGC issued a stark warning following the strikes: if the US continues targeting Iranian infrastructure, Tehran will retaliate by leveling critical American military and corporate assets across host countries in the region.
This military escalation follows the collapse of a month-old interim ceasefire. With tensions surging in the Strait of Hormuz, US President Donald Trump has reportedly discussed expanding US operations to target Iranian energy plants and nuclear-linked sites.
In retaliation, Tehran signaled it could direct its Houthi allies in Yemen to close the Bab al-Mandeb strait in the Red Sea. Analysts warn that these tit-for-tat threats severely endanger global oil shipments and push the region closer to a full-scale devastating conflict.
