Iran attacks US Gulf allies, causing a fire at Kuwait power plant

Iran has launched sustained military operations against Gulf states, firing drones and missiles at Kuwait and Bahrain on Sunday as part of an eighth consecutive night of regional escalation. Kuwaiti authorities reported that one Iranian attack ignited a fire at a power and water generation facility, while both nations' military forces claimed to have successfully intercepted additional incoming strikes.

The attacks targeted US military infrastructure within the two countries, which host significant American military presence. According to Iran's military statements, strikes were directed at a US ammunition depot at Camp al-Adiri in Kuwait and air defence systems at Ali Al Salem airbase. Iran's armed forces characterised their operations as defensive measures against external threats to Iranian sovereignty and the Iranian people.

The escalation follows a series of overnight US military strikes that Washington characterised as punitive measures against Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces responsible for earlier attacks in Jordan that resulted in two US service member deaths. The US military indicated its operations also aimed to reduce Iran's capacity to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. According to Iranian media reports, US strikes targeted areas in Hormozgan and Khuzestan provinces as well as Qeshm Island, with intensity reportedly lower than previous nights of operations.

Iranian officials have alleged that US forces also attacked an under-construction nuclear power facility in the country's south-west, characterising this as a violation of international law. Additionally, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reported intercepting two vessels attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz via what it described as an unsafe route, claiming both vessels had been involved in unspecified incidents.

The situation in the Strait of Hormuz remains contentious following a recent US-Iran agreement that extended a ceasefire and outlined gradual reopening of the waterway. Iranian officials maintain Tehran possesses authority to manage shipping through the strait, while the United States disputes this claim and has reimposed its own blockade of Iranian ports. The ongoing military operations represent a significant deterioration of the ceasefire framework established the previous month.