Iran war day 121: Iran attacks Bahrain, Kuwait as US continues strikes
The US bombed Iran for a second day, while Iran retaliated with missiles and drones targeting US forces in Bahrain and Kuwait, heightening regional tensions.
The United States has carried out a second wave of bombings against Iran, striking Sirik, Bandar-e Lengeh, and Qeshm Island after a drone attack on a commercial vessel near the Strait of Hormuz. Air raid sirens sounded in Bahrain, and Kuwait said its air defenses were responding to "hostile missile and drone threats."
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it launched ballistic missiles and drones at the US Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait and the US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain in response to US strikes on five coastal locations in Iran. A US official told Reuters there have been no reported US casualties or major damage so far.
Oman joined other Gulf states in condemning the Iranian drone attack on Bahrain, expressing full solidarity and rejecting actions that threaten regional security. Qatar, Kuwait, and the UAE also condemned the attack.
Tehran-based political analyst Abas Aslani said Iran views the Strait of Hormuz as leverage to deter future US attacks. "Iran sees [the strait] as leverage to stop the repetition of any new round of aggression against the country," he told Al Jazeera.
Reporting from Washington, DC, Manuel Rapalo said President Donald Trump's warning that the US could be forced to "complete the job" if Iran continues its attacks raises new concerns about further escalation. Retired US naval officer Harlan Ullman warned that the latest "tit-for-tat" attacks between Washington and Tehran risk "getting out of hand."
Democratic Representative Ro Khanna condemned the renewed US strikes on Iran as a "blatant violation" of the War Powers Resolution passed by Congress, warning: "Trump must stop this war now, or we will take him to court."
