Kuwait temporarily shut its airspace on Thursday following the Kuwait airspace closure over Iran, after the country said it intercepted ‘hostile aerial targets’ in response to what it described as ‘Iranian aggressions.’ The closure came as a rapidly escalating military confrontation between the United States and Iran spread across the Middle East, drawing in multiple countries and threatening one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes.
Iran’s state-run Tasnim news agency claimed that Iran ‘struck and destroyed eighteen important targets’ belonging to US forces at Kuwait’s Ali Salem and Ahmad al-Jaber air bases, as well as the Sheikh Issa air base in Bahrain. Kuwait reopened its airspace after several hours.
The media adviser to Bahrain’s king said the country’s air defence systems had intercepted and destroyed ‘Iranian aerial attacks.’ Earlier in the day, Bahrain’s interior ministry had urged civilians to head to a safe place. According to Al Jazeera, Iran said it targeted the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, the Ali Al Salem airbase in Kuwait, and an airbase in Azraq, Jordan, as part of its response.
US Strikes Hit Iranian Ports and Military Sites
The confrontation escalated sharply after US forces carried out strikes against Iran. US Central Command said the strikes were completed at 9:04pm ET on Wednesday, hitting Iranian military surveillance capabilities, communication systems, and air defence sites. US forces also fired on Iranian targets that ‘posed a threat to US forces and international commercial ships transiting regional waters.’
Al Jazeera reported that the US bombing campaign included strikes on Qeshm Island, as well as the ports of Sirik, Jask, and Bandar Abbas, targeting locations with strategic significance along Iran’s southern coastline.
Iranian state media reported earlier that Iran had targeted US ships in the Strait of Hormuz with missiles and drones. Reuters later reported that Iran’s top military command completely closed the Strait of Hormuz, warning that any vessel attempting to cross would be targeted. The strait is one of the most important chokepoints for global oil supplies.
The scale of damage to US military infrastructure has been accumulating over a longer period. The Washington Post reported, based on satellite imagery analysis, that Iranian airstrikes have damaged or destroyed at least 228 structures or pieces of equipment at US military sites across the Middle East since the war began, hitting hangars, barracks, fuel depots, aircraft, and key radar, communications, and air defence equipment.
Trump Signals Pause, but Leaves Door Open
President Donald Trump told Fox News that he had spoken directly with Iranian officials, who he said asked him to stop the strikes. He said the bombing would stop shortly and that Israel was not involved, but left the door open for further military action. In response to a question about whether the ceasefire was over, Trump reportedly said it was ‘the most violated ceasefire in history.’
Earlier on Wednesday, Trump had been unequivocal about his intentions. ‘We hit them hard yesterday, and we’re going to hit them hard again today,’ he said at a White House signing event for the Secure America Act. ‘We’re going to be attacking them and attacking them very hard.’ He also said Iran ‘should sign the deal’ and that the US wants an agreement ‘that’s meaningful and works.’
On Truth Social, Trump had written that Iran’s military is ‘a complete and total mess’ and that ‘much of it, like their Navy and Air Force, doesn’t even exist anymore.’ He repeated his assertion that oil prices will return to where they were before the war began in February, saying: ‘When it’s over, you will see oil drop to where it was before.’
In the Iranian parliament, Ebrahim Azizi, head of the national security commission, wrote on X that ‘this time, the war won’t be limited to the region.’
Markets React as Oil Prices Climb
Financial markets responded sharply to the deteriorating situation. US crude climbed nearly 2% to $89.72 per barrel, while Brent rose 1.3% to $92.74. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped more than 600 points following Trump’s comments.
Claudio Galimberti, chief economist at Rystad Energy, told CNBC earlier this week that oil could hit $150 per barrel within the next couple of months if fighting in the Middle East continues, as inventories are now at very low levels.
Israel’s Home Front Command separately warned of launches from Lebanon toward several communities in northern Israel, adding another front to an already fractured regional picture. The tensions escalated after US forces launched strikes against Iran earlier in the week, which US Central Command said were ‘in response to yesterday’s downing of a US Army Apache helicopter.’ Iran has not directly claimed responsibility for downing the helicopter.
