Iran escalates attacks on U.S. bases in Gulf states, warns of more 'incidents' in strait

Iran escalates attacks on U.S. bases in Gulf states, warns of more 'incidents' in strait

Revolutionary ‌Guard says it targeted U.S. military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait

U.S. and Iranian forces exchanged heavy missile and drone assaults, with Tehran targeting U.S. facilities in states across the Gulf and saying it had again closed the vital Strait of Hormuz, sending oil prices higher.

Iran's Revolutionary ‌Guard said on Monday it targeted U.S. military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait, destroyed radar systems in Oman, and struck fuel tanks and ammunition depots at Prince Hassan Air Base in Jordan in their latest response to another wave of U.S. strikes.

The strikes were the latest in a cycle of attacks and counter-attacks as Iran seeks to assert control over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. However, the barrage marked an escalation in pace and range.

The ​U.S. military said it struck Iranian military air-defence systems, coastal radar sites, missile and drone capabilities, ​and small boats, using aircraft, naval vessels and drones during operations on Sunday.

Explosions were heard on Monday in the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas on ​the Strait of Hormuz and on nearby Qeshm Island, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported, citing local residents. Reuters ​could not independently verify the report.

Bahrain said its air defence systems intercepted and destroyed several Iranian missile and drone attacks early on Monday.

Iran targets Gulf countries after intense U.S. strikes

The renewed violence casts further doubt on the future of an interim U.S.-Iranian agreement signed last month that aimed to reopen the strait and end the war after a further 60 days of negotiations.

In ​a brief phone interview with Reuters on Sunday afternoon, U.S. President Donald Trump referred to the weekend's strikes on Iran. "We're beating them ⁠up," he said.

In the past week, Trump ⁠has said he considers the ceasefire over, while leaving the door open to more ‌talks.

Iran's top negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, posted on X on Sunday: "The era of one-sided deals is OVER. We told you: keep your word or pay the price. Reality is knocking."

The war that the U.S. and Israel launched against Iran on Feb. 28 has destabilized the Gulf, where Iran has struck U.S. bases in countries across the region. Iran's effective blockade of the strait has driven energy prices higher and fuelled global inflation.

The Revolutionary Guard ⁠said in a statement on Monday that the only way to restore regular shipping traffic through the strait was to end U.S. military interventions in the waterway, and warned that "continued interference could lead to greater incidents in the global oil and gas sector."

Brent crude rose more than two per cent on Monday on fears of disruption to one of the world's most important energy shipping routes, although prices remained below the peaks reached earlier in the conflict.

Higher prices, especially for gasoline, are politically sensitive for Trump ahead of November's congressional elections.

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U.S. officials said around 20 vessels had been escorted through the strait in the previous ​24 hours, though ship-tracking sites showed little traffic moving. MarineTraffic said on ⁠Monday that vessel activity through the strait declined by about 52 per cent over Friday to Sunday compared to the previous week.

Six vessels transited the strait on Sunday, ship-tracking data from Kpler showed, the lowest number in five weeks.

Iran has sought to establish a permanent system for collecting fees in the strait, which carried one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas shipments before the war, and has warned vessels not to sail ​without its authorization.

It said late on Saturday it had closed the waterway after firing a warning shot that struck a vessel traveling on an unauthorized route. On Sunday, it said it had disabled a second vessel.

Iran's recently created Persian ⁠Gulf Strait Authority said on Sunday that passage through the strait was not currently possible due to "recent illegal movements of the United States military forces in the region." Permits ⁠would be issued "as soon as stability and calm are restored," it said.

The U.S., which revoked a licence that waived sanctions on the sale of Iranian crude on ⁠Tuesday following ⁠earlier attacks on shipping, said its forces were positioned to safeguard freedom ​of navigation despite what it described as "aggression, harassment, threats, and arbitrary declarations" from Iran.

"Iran does not control the strait. Traffic is flowing," it said.

The U.S. navy-led Joint Maritime Information ​Center reiterated guidance that, despite a severe security ⁠threat, an "expanded" southern route near Oman was available for two-way traffic.

U.S., Iran intensify attacks over Strait of Hormuz

On Saturday, U.S. Central Command said U.S. forces had hit 140 Iranian military targets, and that more than 300 had been struck over three nights this week "to degrade Iran’s ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial vessels freely transiting the strait."

Iran's Revolutionary Guard said at the weekend it had destroyed a command-and-control centre and drone hangars in U.S. ally Jordan, targeted a U.S. radar site and later rocket launcher systems in Kuwait, attacked U.S. aircraft carrier support and refueling platforms in Oman and destroyed a ⁠jet maintenance centre and command facility in Qatar.