Escalation between USA and Iran: Attacks on military bases and blockade of the Strait of Hormuz

Iran's armed forces responded to the new US attacks, according to their own statements, with a complete blockade of the Strait of Hormuz as well as counterattacks on targets in the Gulf states of Bahrain and Kuwait. Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guards – the country's elite force – reportedly attacked, among other things, two US air bases in Kuwait and one in Bahrain. A total of 18 targets were attacked. Any ship attempting to pass the strait, which is important for oil and gas trade, would be attacked, according to a statement from the Iranian military leadership broadcast by state radio. The Iranian army reported that it had once again attacked the regional headquarters of the US Navy in Bahrain with kamikaze drones. The attack targeted Patriot-type air defense systems.

The US military had previously announced, on the president's orders, that it had begun new attacks on targets in Iran. The responsible regional command CENTCOM stated on the X platform that military reconnaissance facilities, communication systems, and air defense positions throughout the country had been attacked. They had posed a threat to US forces and international merchant ships, it added. "The attacks are a response to Iran's unjustified and ongoing aggression," Centcom wrote on X. The US military spoke of "self-defense strikes," as it had the previous night. According to CENTCOM, this was a response to the downing of a US combat helicopter, after which the US military had attacked air defense systems, ground control stations, and radar facilities in Iran overnight into Wednesday.

Attacks on Iranian soil

Meanwhile, the attacks struck inside Iran. State Iranian radio reported explosions in the commuter city of Karaj, located just a few kilometers from the metropolis of Tehran. As the Iranian news agency Irna and state radio reported, explosions were observed near the cities of Minab and Sirik. Further detonations were also reported on the island of Qeshm and in the port city of Bandar Abbas. Iranian state media reported explosions in the area of several port cities along the southern coast. Two people were reportedly injured. On social media, a wave of attacks near the capital was also reported, with combat drones sighted west of Karaj.

Impact on the Gulf region

The effects were also immediately felt in the Gulf states. In Bahrain, an alarm was triggered, as the interior ministry of the Gulf state announced on X. Residents were urged to remain calm and to go to the nearest safe place. The interior ministry spoke of a "criminal Iranian" attack. Falling debris from intercepted Iranian drones caused several vehicles to catch fire and residential buildings to be damaged in the city of Hammad and in the capital Manama. In Iranian attacks on the Gulf state of Bahrain, an eleven-year-old girl was slightly injured, according to authorities. The Gulf state of Kuwait temporarily closed its airspace to civil aviation due to renewed shelling from Iran; incoming flights were diverted to alternative airports. Kuwait has since resumed flight operations, according to the country's civil aviation authority.

Direct naval engagements also occurred in the conflict. According to Iranian state media, Iran's armed forces attacked US ships near the Strait of Hormuz with missiles and drones. Shortly thereafter, state radio reported that two ships had been fired upon. The news agency Mehr reported naval battles between Iranian and US units. Following US airstrikes in the region, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards most recently also attacked US aircraft at the Al-Asrak base in Jordan with twelve ballistic missiles, according to their own statements. The US embassy in Jordan had previously warned of missiles, drones, or projectiles in Jordanian airspace.

The conflict also claimed victims among civilian seafarers. In a US attack on a tanker sailing under the flag of Palau, three Indian citizens were killed. The deaths of the three seafarers, who were initially reported missing, have now been confirmed. India's Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal pointed to two bodies that had been found. The USA had justified the shelling of the tanker "Settebello" by stating that it had violated the US naval blockade against Iran and had attempted to transport oil from Iran.

Economic consequences and naval engagements

Despite the military escalation, the parties to the conflict are making efforts to prevent the conflict from spiraling completely out of control. The US military has, according to its own statements, halted its renewed attacks on targets in Iran. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the goal was not to resume the war. Rather, the aim was to create the conditions for an agreement with Iran. Trump also stated that Israel was not involved in the current attacks on Iran. The USA and Iran had previously bombarded each other heavily for the second consecutive night – causing the conflict to escalate dangerously despite the ceasefire that has been in place for two months. Trump called the ceasefire "the most frequently broken ceasefire in the history of the world."

The economic consequences are already being felt. The prices for North Sea Brent crude and US crude WTI rose on Wednesday by a peak of 2.6 and four percent respectively, to $95.50 and $93.64 per barrel. The Strait of Hormuz is of great importance to the global economy as an export route for fertilizer, oil, and liquefied gas. CENTCOM stated on X that merchant ships continue to enter and leave the Strait of Hormuz tonight – Iranian state media called this claim false.