US strikes Iran after Trump threats; Tehran attacks US bases across Gulf

DUBAI, July 24: US missiles struck targets across Iran on Friday, reaching as far as the country's Caspian coast, after President Donald Trump vowed "major military punishment" against Tehran and its Houthi allies in Yemen. The strikes marked a significant escalation in a conflict that has expanded beyond the Strait of Hormuz to include the Bab el-Mandeb at the mouth of the Red Sea, threatening two of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints.

The latest escalation came two weeks after the collapse of an interim truce intended to halt the fighting. In response to the US attacks, Iran launched drone and missile strikes against several American military facilities in Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait, warning that any regional bases or civilian buildings used by US personnel could become legitimate targets.

The Iranian army said it targeted fuel tanks, equipment warehouses, silos, and barracks at Isa Air Base in Bahrain using Arash kamikaze drones. An AFP journalist in Bahrain reported an explosion and warning sirens, although it was not immediately clear whether the two were connected. Bahrain later announced that it had intercepted and destroyed several Iranian aerial attacks, accusing Tehran of targeting civilian areas.

Iran also claimed drone strikes against Al-Azraq Air Base in Jordan, saying it targeted aircraft hangars, aviation maintenance facilities, and military barracks. Jordan had not reported any attacks at the time.

In Kuwait, Iran said it struck US military facilities at Camp Udairi (formerly Camp Buehring), Camp Arifjan, Camp Doha, and Ali Al Salem Air Base. According to statements from both the Iranian army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the attacks targeted equipment depots, ammunition storage facilities, and positions housing US personnel. The Guards claimed they destroyed an ammunition depot at Ali Al Salem Air Base and inflicted casualties, although no independent confirmation has been provided.

The IRGC further claimed responsibility for damaging a surveillance tower used by the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain and said it had targeted an Amazon data centre in Bahrain, a claim that neither Amazon nor Bahraini authorities have confirmed.

Iranian officials reiterated that any military facility in the Middle East used by the United States to launch attacks against Iran would be considered a legitimate target for retaliation.

State media reported that missiles also struck Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz and that four people were killed and five injured in an attack on the southwestern city of Ahvaz.

The conflict has intensified alongside renewed attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi movement. This week, the Houthis announced a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, which had been using pipelines to divert millions of barrels of oil daily to the Red Sea to avoid Iran's near-total blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

The attacks forced several tankers to reverse course and transit north through the Suez Canal before sailing around Africa to reach Asian markets, significantly increasing shipping costs and transit times. Insurance premiums for vessels transiting the southern Red Sea also doubled for some companies.

President Trump warned on social media that Iran would be held responsible for any further Houthi attacks, declaring that "major military punishment will be inflicted upon Iran and, of course, the Houthis, themselves." He later told Axios he was considering relaunching major combat operations against Iran and was close to making a decision, saying, "They haven't received enough pain yet."

Trump also said any damage to cargo ships would be compensated using frozen Iranian assets held by the United States, without explaining how such funds would be accessed.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi condemned the proposal on X, warning that "no one's assets are safe once governments normalise such confiscation" and cautioning that the resulting chaos "will not be pretty or peaceful."

The Revolutionary Guards also issued a warning to residents in Gulf countries, urging civilians to stay at least 500 metres away from locations allegedly used covertly by US military personnel, including buildings inside urban areas.

According to several people familiar with US intelligence assessments, previous Iranian attacks on CIA-linked facilities in the Gulf prompted investigations into whether Russia may have provided Iran with targeting intelligence or drone technology. The Kremlin has declined to comment on the allegations.�" AGENCIES