Iran Strikes US Allies in Middle East; Gulf States Condemn 'War Crimes'

Iran has launched a wave of attacks against US allies in the Middle East, as the renewal of US strikes on Iran enters a second week and fighting escalates over the Strait of Hormuz.

Kuwait has accused Iran of targeting civilian sites and vital infrastructure, including a power and water desalination plant. The country, which relies on desalination for about 90% of its drinking water, briefly closed its airspace while intercepting Iranian missiles and drones. Several Kuwaiti firefighters and a worker were injured battling blazes sparked by the strikes.

Bahrain activated its air sirens on Saturday, warning residents to take shelter after detecting possible incoming drones or missiles. Jordan’s state-run Petra news agency reported that the kingdom’s air defense systems had downed Iranian missiles.

The Iranian attacks came in response to US strikes on Iranian civilian infrastructure, including bridges and power facilities. The secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jasem Mohamed al-Budaiwi, condemned the attacks, calling them “war crimes” that require international accountability and prosecution.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed that two oil tankers directed by “deceptive US intelligence agencies” had exploded after hitting mines in the Strait of Hormuz – a claim denied by the US military. The IRGC also said it had “stopped” four ships trying to transit the waterway and destroyed at least two US fighter aircraft and three other aircraft during an attack on a US base in Azraq, Jordan.

The IRGC further claimed hits on a US military support center at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait, destruction of a US radar facility at Ali Al Salem airbase, and targeting of US combat aircraft gathered at Sheikh Isa airbase in Bahrain.

US Central Command said its strikes, which continued for a seventh consecutive night, were aimed at “degrading Iranian military capabilities.” The US military reported hitting Iranian “surveillance sites, military logistics infrastructure, underground weapons storage, and maritime capabilities” overnight.

Iranian media reported explosions in the cities of Sirik, Ahvaz, and Yazd. According to Iran’s health ministry, US strikes have killed 50 people and wounded more than 500 since hostilities resumed. For the first time, Iran acknowledged successful US “attacks on power infrastructure” when its energy ministry called for reduced power usage in southern provinces experiencing extreme heat.

Maj Gen Mohsen Rezaee, a senior military adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, warned that Tehran will resume “full-scale offensive operations” if US strikes continue for another two or three days. He said Iran “will no longer limit itself to retaliatory, like-for-like responses” and “no political border will be safe.”