US airstrikes on Iran spur Gulf missile alerts, putting ceasefire at risk
The United States launched fresh strikes across Iran as Tehran targeted Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar. The exchange has shaken the ceasefire and revived fears over Hormuz shipping and a wider regional war.
The United States launched fresh airstrikes across Iran early Thursday, and Tehran responded by targeting Gulf countries, in a sharp escalation that threatened an interim deal meant to help end the war in the Middle East. Sirens sounded at least three times in Bahrain, which hosts the US Navy's 5th Fleet headquarters, while missiles also targeted Kuwait and Qatar.
The exchange came hours after US President Donald Trump said recent Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz signalled the end of a fragile ceasefire and warned of further escalation if they did not stop. The renewed attacks raised fears that the region could slide back into a wider war that could disrupt energy shipments through the strait, a key route for the global economy.
Iran's Health Ministry said two days of American airstrikes had killed at least 14 people and injured 78 others, with most of those reported to be members of the armed forces. There was no immediate word on damage in Bahrain, Kuwait or Qatar. The US military's Central Command said it had hit around 90 targets across Iran and released black-and-white footage that appeared to show strikes on an airport runway and missile launchers. The US said the attacks were meant to "further degrade" Iran's ability "to threaten freedom of navigation" in the strait.
Before the war began with US and Israeli attacks on February 28, a fifth of the world's traded oil and natural gas passed through the Strait of Hormuz. During the conflict, attacks on ships and the threat of more attacks had virtually halted traffic there, pushing up oil prices and raising the cost of many basic goods, including food, well beyond the region.
Iranian state media reported explosions in several places, including Bushehr, home to Iran's nuclear power plant complex, and southern port cities. In Khuzestan province, at least three people were killed on Thursday, state media said. In Iranshahr, authorities said a strike killed a firefighter at an airport. Those deaths followed the killing of at least nine members of Iran's armed forces in Wednesday's strikes, according to state media. It was not clear when the other reported death took place or who was killed.
For the first time since April, US strikes also appeared to target Iranian bridges. State media reported a strike on a railway bridge in Golestan province, while the Revolutionary Guard said two bridges were attacked on the route to Mashhad, where officials plan to bury the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Thursday.
After leaving a NATO summit in Turkiye, Trump posted videos on social media that he said showed explosions in Iran and issued another warning. "This is in retribution for yesterday's bombing of ships by Iran. If it happens again, it will get much worse!" he wrote. Trump said earlier that the latest fighting would not lead to "long-term" military action, adding, "Anything that happens is going to happen very fast." He also renewed earlier threats to target Iran's civilian infrastructure, including electric and desalination plants, and to seize Kharg Island, through which about 90 per cent of Iranian oil exports pass.
The exchange of fire began after Iran attacked three tankers in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday. The new attacks, despite the ceasefire, could reflect a divide within Iran's leadership. Hard-liners want to ensure lasting control over the waterway, while pragmatists want a permanent peace deal that could lift international sanctions and bring economic relief. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, a key negotiator in efforts to end the war permanently, wrote on X: "America still hasn't learned that bullying and breaking promises are no longer cost-free. Let me put it plainly: If you strike, you'll get hit."
Trump added to fears of a renewed war by saying on Wednesday that the interim agreement to pause the fighting was "over", though he said talks could continue. "They can talk, but I think they're wasting their time," he said. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi replied on X that Trump's remarks "are not a sign of power but an admission of the failure" of US policy towards Iran. Negotiations on a final deal were due to begin after Khamenei's funeral, which ends on Thursday and had been expected to bring down tensions. Those talks are meant to address the hardest issues, including fully reopening the strait and rolling back Tehran's disputed nuclear programme.
The latest US-Iran exchange has left casualties in Iran, triggered missile alerts in Gulf countries and raised fresh doubts over the ceasefire, even as both sides say negotiations on a final settlement are still expected after Khamenei's funeral.
With PTI Inputs
The United States launched fresh airstrikes across Iran early Thursday, and Tehran responded by targeting Gulf countries, in a sharp escalation that threatened an interim deal meant to help end the war in the Middle East. Sirens sounded at least three times in Bahrain, which hosts the US Navy's 5th Fleet headquarters, while missiles also targeted Kuwait and Qatar.
The exchange came hours after US President Donald Trump said recent Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz signalled the end of a fragile ceasefire and warned of further escalation if they did not stop. The renewed attacks raised fears that the region could slide back into a wider war that could disrupt energy shipments through the strait, a key route for the global economy.
Iran's Health Ministry said two days of American airstrikes had killed at least 14 people and injured 78 others, with most of those reported to be members of the armed forces. There was no immediate word on damage in Bahrain, Kuwait or Qatar. The US military's Central Command said it had hit around 90 targets across Iran and released black-and-white footage that appeared to show strikes on an airport runway and missile launchers. The US said the attacks were meant to "further degrade" Iran's ability "to threaten freedom of navigation" in the strait.
Before the war began with US and Israeli attacks on February 28, a fifth of the world's traded oil and natural gas passed through the Strait of Hormuz. During the conflict, attacks on ships and the threat of more attacks had virtually halted traffic there, pushing up oil prices and raising the cost of many basic goods, including food, well beyond the region.
Iranian state media reported explosions in several places, including Bushehr, home to Iran's nuclear power plant complex, and southern port cities. In Khuzestan province, at least three people were killed on Thursday, state media said. In Iranshahr, authorities said a strike killed a firefighter at an airport. Those deaths followed the killing of at least nine members of Iran's armed forces in Wednesday's strikes, according to state media. It was not clear when the other reported death took place or who was killed.
For the first time since April, US strikes also appeared to target Iranian bridges. State media reported a strike on a railway bridge in Golestan province, while the Revolutionary Guard said two bridges were attacked on the route to Mashhad, where officials plan to bury the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Thursday.
After leaving a NATO summit in Turkiye, Trump posted videos on social media that he said showed explosions in Iran and issued another warning. "This is in retribution for yesterday's bombing of ships by Iran. If it happens again, it will get much worse!" he wrote. Trump said earlier that the latest fighting would not lead to "long-term" military action, adding, "Anything that happens is going to happen very fast." He also renewed earlier threats to target Iran's civilian infrastructure, including electric and desalination plants, and to seize Kharg Island, through which about 90 per cent of Iranian oil exports pass.
The exchange of fire began after Iran attacked three tankers in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday. The new attacks, despite the ceasefire, could reflect a divide within Iran's leadership. Hard-liners want to ensure lasting control over the waterway, while pragmatists want a permanent peace deal that could lift international sanctions and bring economic relief. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, a key negotiator in efforts to end the war permanently, wrote on X: "America still hasn't learned that bullying and breaking promises are no longer cost-free. Let me put it plainly: If you strike, you'll get hit."
Trump added to fears of a renewed war by saying on Wednesday that the interim agreement to pause the fighting was "over", though he said talks could continue. "They can talk, but I think they're wasting their time," he said. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi replied on X that Trump's remarks "are not a sign of power but an admission of the failure" of US policy towards Iran. Negotiations on a final deal were due to begin after Khamenei's funeral, which ends on Thursday and had been expected to bring down tensions. Those talks are meant to address the hardest issues, including fully reopening the strait and rolling back Tehran's disputed nuclear programme.
The latest US-Iran exchange has left casualties in Iran, triggered missile alerts in Gulf countries and raised fresh doubts over the ceasefire, even as both sides say negotiations on a final settlement are still expected after Khamenei's funeral.
With PTI Inputs
