US strikes Iranian military targets for tenth night; Iran retaliates with attacks on US bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan
A tenth night of U.S. airstrikes on Iran killed 50 civilians, according to Tehran, as Iran launched retaliatory missile and drone attacks on American military installations in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan. An oil tanker was hit by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, its crew forced to abandon ship.
U.S. strikes enter tenth night
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said it struck military command centers, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch bases, and air defense systems in its latest round of attacks on Iran. The bombings followed a warning by President Donald Trump that Tehran would pay a heavy price for the deaths of American soldiers. Explosions were heard near the southern city of Shiraz, and the coastal towns of Konarak and Chabahar, as well as the western cities of Khorramabad and Abdanan, were all reported hit, according to state media. An official in Khorramabad later told IRNA that no enemy attack had occurred there. The operations, now extending through a tenth consecutive night, are intended to degrade Tehran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Health Ministry said that 50 civilians had been killed and 500 wounded in the recent American bombardments.
Iran retaliates across the Gulf
On Tuesday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed credit for attacking U.S. military assets in Bahrain and Kuwait, targeting air defense systems, radars, and satellite reception equipment. Iranian state media also reported strikes on American positions in Jordan and said forces had stopped two tankers trying to cross an unsafe route in the southern Strait of Hormuz after explosions sparked fires on board. Attacks on power plants and desalination facilities in Kuwait raised alarm over potential water shortages. The U.S. State Department responded with a worldwide caution notice for American citizens, citing “heightened tensions in the Middle East.”
Tanker abandoned off Oman
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said an oil tanker was struck by a projectile of unknown origin in waters off Oman. The crew abandoned ship and took refuge in a lifeboat. The incident underscored the growing risk for vessels transiting the narrow waterway, a conduit for roughly 20% of global oil trade.
U.S. forces remain ready to hold Iran accountable for unprovoked aggression against civilian mariners seeking to transit the strait freely.
Houthi blockade and oil price spike
Brent crude climbed to $90.95 a barrel and West Texas Intermediate to $84.04, a roughly 2% rise, as the conflict expanded. On Monday, the Iran-aligned Houthi movement in Yemen declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia, warning in an email to shipping companies that any vessel loading or unloading at Saudi ports could be targeted “in any location.” That announcement, coupled with the Iran-U.S. attacks, effectively tore up a provisional peace agreement signed only last month.
- Houthi group emails shipping firms warning of attacks on any vessel serving Saudi ports.
- Iranian strikes on power plants and desalination plants in Kuwait raise water security fears.
- CENTCOM bombs command centers, missile sites, and air defenses across southern and western Iran.
- IRGC attacks U.S. air defense systems and radars in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan.
- Unidentified projectile hits oil tanker off Oman; crew evacuated into a lifeboat.
Diplomacy amid the chaos
Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni traveled to Islamabad on Monday for meetings with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other officials. Pakistan is seeking to mediate an end to the hostilities. Both Tehran and Washington have signaled a willingness to resume diplomatic discussions, which helped cap the increase in oil prices.
