Iran attacks Gulf bases as US reimposes Hormuz oil blockade
Iran has attacked US military facilities in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan in retaliation for Washington reimposing a shipping blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, threatening a vital energy corridor for European markets.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps launched attacks on US military facilities in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan early Wednesday. The strikes targeted the US Fifth Fleet’s command and logistics installations in Bahrain, a US base in Kuwait, and Jordan’s Azraq air base. US Navy Adm. Brad Cooper confirmed that Iran fired dozens of missiles and drones at the Gulf Arab states.
The Iranian assault was a direct response to Washington reimposing a blockade on Iranian shipping around the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday. The US military backed up the maritime restriction with a fourth consecutive night of strikes, hitting Iranian missile and drone sites, naval capabilities, and coastal defences over a seven-hour period.
For European governments and energy markets, the escalation poses a severe supply risk. The Strait of Hormuz handles a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas trade during peacetime. Any sustained disruption to this critical chokepoint would immediately impact European energy prices and corporate supply chains.
Tehran explicitly linked its military actions to the defence of regional energy routes. The guards warned that if Washington attempts to control maritime passages and prevent oil and gas exports, Iran will shut down other energy lines serving US and partner interests. "Regional energy exports will be for everyone or for no one," the guards stated, though they did not specify which additional routes might be targeted.
Missile alerts have become a daily occurrence in Bahrain and Kuwait, straining a fragile ceasefire. Authorities in Jordan said they shot down three incoming missiles, while the Kuwaiti army reported repelling hostile Iranian drones.
The conflict shows no immediate signs of de-escalating. Speaking to Fox News on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump threatened to expand the strikes to civilian infrastructure next week if Iran refuses to negotiate. "We're going to knock out all their power plants. We're gonna knock out their bridges unless they get to the table and negotiate," Trump said.
The current crisis stems from the collapse of a fragile diplomatic pause. The US first imposed the blockade in mid-April before lifting it in mid-June under a 60-day interim deal meant to address Iran’s nuclear programme. With those negotiations now stalled, both sides are using military force to assert control over a waterway central to the global economy.
