US strikes deepen as Iran hits Bahrain and Kuwait after truce collapse
The United States expanded strikes on Iran as Tehran hit Bahrain and Kuwait with missiles and drones. The collapse of the interim deal has heightened fears of a wider regional war and energy disruption.
The United States intensified its strikes on Iran early Thursday, hitting targets further north, while American forces also fired at a ship they accused of trying to break a naval blockade on the Islamic Republic. Before dawn, Tehran retaliated with missile and drone attacks targeting Bahrain and Kuwait.
After days of exchanges between the US and Iran across the Middle East, the interim deal aimed at ending the Iran war has broken down, raising the risk of a wider conflict. Iranian officials said US strikes have killed more than 35 people and wounded over 300 others.
When the US and Israel launched the war on Iran on February 28, Tehran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz to shipping traffic. The move pushed up the prices of oil, fertiliser and many other goods well beyond the region, and gave Iran significant leverage in negotiations.
The rising prices have created a challenge for US President Donald Trump and his Republican Party ahead of the November elections, in which they hope to retain control of Congress. Washington has struggled to reopen the waterway, and Trump on Wednesday reimposed the naval blockade of Iran.
Iran's parliament speaker and lead negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, said Tehran was prepared for a broader military confrontation if the US did not honour the terms of the interim deal. Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard also threatened to stop all energy exports from the Middle East over the blockade, saying, "The export of oil and gas from the region will be either for everyone or for no one."
Trump again said Iran was ready to agree to peace, though he did not give details. "They don't like what we're doing, and they do want to settle. We'll find out whether or not we settle with them, or we just finish it off," he said on Wednesday at a defence summit at the US Army War College in Pennsylvania. The latest strikes, retaliation and warnings underscored the collapse of the interim deal and the growing risk of a wider war in the region.
With PTI Inputs
The United States intensified its strikes on Iran early Thursday, hitting targets further north, while American forces also fired at a ship they accused of trying to break a naval blockade on the Islamic Republic. Before dawn, Tehran retaliated with missile and drone attacks targeting Bahrain and Kuwait.
After days of exchanges between the US and Iran across the Middle East, the interim deal aimed at ending the Iran war has broken down, raising the risk of a wider conflict. Iranian officials said US strikes have killed more than 35 people and wounded over 300 others.
When the US and Israel launched the war on Iran on February 28, Tehran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz to shipping traffic. The move pushed up the prices of oil, fertiliser and many other goods well beyond the region, and gave Iran significant leverage in negotiations.
The rising prices have created a challenge for US President Donald Trump and his Republican Party ahead of the November elections, in which they hope to retain control of Congress. Washington has struggled to reopen the waterway, and Trump on Wednesday reimposed the naval blockade of Iran.
Iran's parliament speaker and lead negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, said Tehran was prepared for a broader military confrontation if the US did not honour the terms of the interim deal. Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard also threatened to stop all energy exports from the Middle East over the blockade, saying, "The export of oil and gas from the region will be either for everyone or for no one."
Trump again said Iran was ready to agree to peace, though he did not give details. "They don't like what we're doing, and they do want to settle. We'll find out whether or not we settle with them, or we just finish it off," he said on Wednesday at a defence summit at the US Army War College in Pennsylvania. The latest strikes, retaliation and warnings underscored the collapse of the interim deal and the growing risk of a wider war in the region.
With PTI Inputs
The United States intensified its strikes on Iran early Thursday, hitting targets further north, while American forces also fired at a ship they accused of trying to break a naval blockade on the Islamic Republic. Before dawn, Tehran retaliated with missile and drone attacks targeting Bahrain and Kuwait.
After days of exchanges between the US and Iran across the Middle East, the interim deal aimed at ending the Iran war has broken down, raising the risk of a wider conflict. Iranian officials said US strikes have killed more than 35 people and wounded over 300 others.
When the US and Israel launched the war on Iran on February 28, Tehran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz to shipping traffic. The move pushed up the prices of oil, fertiliser and many other goods well beyond the region, and gave Iran significant leverage in negotiations.
The rising prices have created a challenge for US President Donald Trump and his Republican Party ahead of the November elections, in which they hope to retain control of Congress. Washington has struggled to reopen the waterway, and Trump on Wednesday reimposed the naval blockade of Iran.
Iran's parliament speaker and lead negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, said Tehran was prepared for a broader military confrontation if the US did not honour the terms of the interim deal. Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard also threatened to stop all energy exports from the Middle East over the blockade, saying, "The export of oil and gas from the region will be either for everyone or for no one."
Trump again said Iran was ready to agree to peace, though he did not give details. "They don't like what we're doing, and they do want to settle. We'll find out whether or not we settle with them, or we just finish it off," he said on Wednesday at a defence summit at the US Army War College in Pennsylvania. The latest strikes, retaliation and warnings underscored the collapse of the interim deal and the growing risk of a wider war in the region.
With PTI Inputs
