Iran Strikes Bahrain and Kuwait in Retaliation for US Attacks, Threatens to Walk Away from Talks
Iran launched drone and missile attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait on Sunday in response to US strikes, warning it could completely suspend negotiations to end the war if Washington continues its bombardment.
Iran carried out drone and missile attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait on Sunday, retaliating against recent US strikes. Tehran also threatened to fully withdraw from talks aimed at ending the conflict if the US keeps up its shelling.
The escalation comes amid efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz without Iranian oversight. A US-led multinational naval organization announced it would expand a shipping lane near Oman to facilitate vessels entering and leaving the strait.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi insisted that Iran must control the strait, which leads into the Persian Gulf. "Any attempts to establish new or separate arrangements, different from those currently carried out by the Islamic Republic of Iran, will only lead to further complications, delay the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and increase tensions," he stated.
In Kuwait, which hosts a major US military base, air defense forces intercepted Iranian drones and two missiles. No casualties or damage were reported. In Bahrain, home to the US Fifth Fleet, a residential building near the international airport was damaged but there were no fatalities.
Qatar reported one civilian killed and another wounded by debris during "military operations in the region." This followed a Saturday attack on the Panama-flagged tanker Kiku, which was carrying oil for Qatar's state company. In response, US forces struck Iranian surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defense, drone storage sites, and mine-laying equipment.
US President Donald Trump accused Iran of violating an agreement and warned that the US might be forced to "finish the job militarily." "If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist!" he wrote.
The mutual strikes began Thursday after an Iranian drone hit a merchant vessel off Oman's coast, and the US responded with its own attack.
Pakistan, acting as a mediator, announced plans to resume US-Iran talks on Tuesday. The Trump administration confirmed the meeting had not been called off and that technical negotiations were proceeding on schedule. The talks concern a temporary agreement covering the regime in the Strait of Hormuz, lifting the US blockade and sanctions on Iranian ports, and the fate of Iran's highly enriched uranium. The sides have 60 days from early June to finalize details. The ongoing conflict in Lebanon complicates the deal, as it requires a ceasefire on all fronts.
