Iran launched fresh attacks against United States allies in the Gulf on Saturday, escalating tensions after a seventh consecutive night of US strikes targeting Iranian military facilities and logistical infrastructure.
The latest attacks came a week after a fragile ceasefire agreement between both sides collapsed, raising fears of a wider regional conflict.
Kuwait was among the countries affected, with a desalination plant reportedly hit while operations at Kuwait International Airport were suspended following repeated missile and drone threats.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed responsibility for strikes on a US military support centre at Camp Arifjan and a radar facility at Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait. Iranian state media also reported attacks on a site housing US combat aircraft at Sheikh Isa Air Base and an intelligence data centre in Bahrain.
However, the reports could not be independently verified.
The Revolutionary Guards warned that US allies in the region could face further attacks, claiming the strikes were carried out in response to what it described as US military actions against Iran.
Tensions between Washington and Tehran have continued to rise since their ceasefire agreement broke down, with both sides testing the limits of escalation and increasing attacks on strategic targets.
The conflict has also affected global shipping routes, with both countries targeting maritime activities around the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway responsible for transporting about one-fifth of the world’s oil supply.
Oil prices rose more than 4 per cent on Friday, reaching their highest level in over a month amid concerns over the impact of the conflict on global energy supplies.
Meanwhile, civilian infrastructure has increasingly become a target. Iranian media reported missile strikes on power facilities and desalination systems in Jask, Hormozgan Province, leaving thousands of residents without water.
In Kuwait, the Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy Ministry confirmed that a power generation and water desalination facility was hit, marking the second attack on the country’s water infrastructure within two days.
The US military’s Central Command said its latest strikes targeted Iranian surveillance facilities, military logistics sites, underground weapons storage areas and maritime capabilities.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed concern over the escalating conflict, particularly attacks involving civilian infrastructure in Iran and across the region.
Iranian state media also reported casualties following strikes in Hormozgan Province, with three people killed and eight others injured, while several roads and bridges were damaged.
The United States has warned of further military action, with President Donald Trump threatening broader strikes against Iranian infrastructure and refusing to rule out possible ground operations.
Analysts have warned that further escalation could prompt Iran and its allies to target critical infrastructure in Gulf states or disrupt global energy supplies through attacks on shipping routes.
