Iran claims Gulf attacks after new U.S. strikes

Iran said it struck U.S.-linked military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait and hit two vessels in the Strait of Hormuz after a second day of renewed U.S. attacks on targets inside Iran, deepening an exchange of fire that has strained efforts to end the war.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said early Thursday that it launched drone strikes on Bahrain’s Sheikh Isa airbase and Kuwait’s Ali Al Salem and Ahmad Al-Jaber airbases. It also said two oil tankers that attempted “to illegally pass through” the Strait of Hormuz were hit, and declared the waterway “closed until further notice,” affecting oil tankers and commercial vessels.

U.S. Central Command said Wednesday that American forces were striking “multiple targets in Iran” on President Donald Trump’s orders, describing the attacks as “in response to Iran’s unwarranted and continued aggression.” Iranian state media reported explosions on Qeshm Island and in Bandar Abbas and Sirik along the Strait of Hormuz, while NPR reported blasts were also heard in Minab. Al Jazeera reported that blasts hit the southern city of Kargan, wounding at least two people.

The latest escalation followed Iranian fire on Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, all of which host U.S. troops. Jordan said it shot down five incoming missiles, while Bahrain and Kuwait said they intercepted incoming fire, NPR reported. Iran said one of its attacks targeted an airbase in Azraq, Jordan, hosting American military aircraft.

The back-and-forth came a day after the U.S. struck Iran following the crash of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz. NPR reported that a U.S. official said the helicopter collided with an Iranian drone, though it was not clear whether the collision was intentional. A drone boat rescued the two crew members, and Trump said they were uninjured.

Trump has accused Iran of delaying negotiations. “We’ll see what happens with the deal. We were really close to a deal. But they keep tapping us along. They keep playing us for suckers,” he told reporters Wednesday. On Truth Social, he wrote that Iran had taken “too long to negotiate a deal” and “now they will have to pay the price!!!” In a Fox News interview, he also threatened to strike power plants and bridges in Iran if it refused to sign an agreement, Al Jazeera reported.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian responded on X that “critical infrastructures are the lifeblood of the people,” adding that threats against transportation, electricity and water systems were “not a show of strength but a sign of desperation in the face of a nation’s will.” Iran’s U.N. ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, told the Security Council: “Iran has never negotiated under threats and pressure and will never submit to pressure or question.”

Iranian officials said U.S. strikes hit two water reservoirs in Sirik, temporarily cutting water to thousands of people, NPR reported. Al Jazeera said Tehran also reported damage to a telecommunications tower. U.S. Central Command had no immediate comment on the reservoir claim.

The conflict has pushed energy prices higher and disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for oil and natural gas. NPR reported that international benchmark crude traded above $93 a barrel Wednesday, up more than 25% since the start of the war. Trump said the U.S. military had carried out a “secret mission” to move more than 100 million barrels of oil past Iranian forces, though NPR said there was no immediate confirmation of that figure.

Diplomatic efforts have continued. NPR reported that a Qatari delegation arrived in Tehran for talks after consultations with the U.S. Major disputes remain: Washington wants Iran to give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, while Tehran is demanding sanctions relief, the release of frozen assets and an end to fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon as part of any deal.