US and Iran Escalate: Attacks on Military Targets and Commercial Ships in the Gulf

The British maritime authority UKMTO reported on Saturday that a cargo ship had been hit by an unknown projectile. According to Centcom, the vessel was the tanker "Kiku," sailing under the Panamanian flag. The New York Times, citing a US official, reported that the tanker had left Qatar on Thursday and was en route to the United Arab Emirates.

US President Donald Trump stated on Truth Social that the US attack was retaliation for a renewed breach of the ceasefire by Iran. He also threatened further action: "Should that happen, the Islamic Republic of Iran will cease to exist!" At the same time, he wrote: "It is quite possible they will never learn! There may come a point where we can no longer be reasonable and will be forced to complete militarily the work we have begun very successfully."

Threats from Washington

The Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said that their own naval and air forces had struck and destroyed eight important infrastructure targets of the US Army in Kuwait and Bahrain with missiles and drones in the early morning hours. The IRGC named the targets as the US Air Force base Ali Al-Salem in Kuwait and the base of the 5th US Fleet in Mina Salman in Bahrain. These attacks were a response to the latest US aggression, it said. The IRGC accused the US of violating the framework agreement to end the war and the prevailing ceasefire. The IRGC's claims could not be independently verified at the time of reporting.

On the Iranian side, the state broadcaster IRIB reported that four projectiles had hit the outskirts of the port city of Bandar Lengeh in Hormozgan province. Impacts were also reported on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. IRIB also reported that explosions had been heard in a village near the town of Sirik. The broadcaster later reported that a communications tower had been hit.

Impact in the Region

In Bahrain, the attacks triggered sirens according to the Interior Ministry. Authorities called on the population to seek shelter. The Iranian broadcaster Press TV reported explosions in Bahrain. The Kuwaiti army announced on the platform X that its air defense was repelling hostile missile and drone attacks.

Background: Framework Agreement Under Pressure

The new violence comes against the backdrop of a framework agreement signed in mid-June between the US and Iran, which contains provisions for controlling shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. According to the IRGC, the agreement includes arrangements with the Islamic Republic for managing shipping traffic in the strait. According to Centcom, the current US strike was already the second US strike against Iran since the signing of the agreement.

Warning of Further Escalation

Israeli Iran expert Danny Citrinowicz warned on X of further escalation: "Iran will likely respond, and these responses will inevitably affect the Strait of Hormuz." He also stated that the US government cannot realistically expect both unimpeded freedom of navigation in the strait and a viable agreement with Iran without taking into account Tehran's core position on the issue. Further US strikes would not solve the problem around the strait but would only lead to further counterstrikes.