Tehran alleges retaliation against American military installations following latest US airstrikes

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Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Wednesday that they launched missile and drone attacks targeting U.S. military installations in Bahrain and Kuwait.

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The Guards, according to Reuters, described the operation as retaliation for fresh US strikes on Iran following attacks on commercial tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.

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Global oil prices climbed by more than two per cent on Tuesday.

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According to Oilprice.com, Brent crude futures rose to 1.73, or 2.52 per cent, to $70.28 per barrel, as traders priced in heightened geopolitical risks.

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The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it carried out a joint operation against “US military facilities, including Bahrain’s Fifth Naval District at Bandar Salman and Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait.”

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The Guards also claimed to have shot down a U.S. MQ-9 drone during the operation, a claim that had not been independently verified.

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Air raid sirens sounded in both Bahrain and Kuwait as the attacks unfolded.

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The Kuwaiti army said its air defence systems were confronting “hostile” missile and drone attacks, while authorities in Bahrain also reported activation of air defence measures.

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The strikes came hours after the United States launched a new wave of military attacks on Iran and revoked a licence that had allowed Tehran to sell oil.

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Washington said the action was in response to attacks on three commercial tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important oil shipping lanes.

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Meanwhile, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said more than 60 boats belonging to the Revolutionary Guards were among the targets struck during the U.S. operation.

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According to Investing, in a statement, CENTCOM said: “The unwarranted aggression by Iranian forces is a clear and dangerous violation of the ceasefire and undermines freedom of navigation.”

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The latest exchange marks a further deterioration of the fragile ceasefire reached after weeks of hostilities.

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The truce was intended to provide a 60-day window for indirect negotiations on a broader agreement between Washington and Tehran, but talks held in Qatar last week ended without a breakthrough.

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PUNCH Online reports that tensions have intensified around the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies pass.

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The latest US military action followed attacks on commercial shipping in the waterway, while Iran has maintained that it has the right to regulate activity in the strategic strait.

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The renewed hostilities have raised fresh concerns over regional security and global energy supplies, says Reuters.

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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said negotiations on a permanent agreement would “not commence if threats continue,” according to Reuters, underscoring the uncertain future of diplomatic efforts as military exchanges continue.

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