Air raid sirens sounded in Bahrain and Kuwait overnight on July 9 after Iran vowed to respond to renewed US strikes. Kuwait's military reported intercepting "hostile missile and drone attacks," attributing explosions to air defense systems without specifying their origin.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) confirmed they struck US military bases in Bahrain and Kuwait in retaliation for the American strikes. The Guards targeted "key infrastructure and facilities" at US bases in Arifjan and Ali Al Salem in Kuwait, and Juffair and Sheikh Isa in Bahrain using missiles and drones.

The US launched a new round of strikes on Iran after President Donald Trump declared the ceasefire between the two countries was "dead" and signaled he would "hit them hard again tonight" following attacks on three commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it hit about 90 military targets across Iran to degrade Iran's ability to attack commercial shipping and innocent mariners in the Strait.

Iranian state media reported explosions in multiple locations along Iran's southern coast, including Sirik and Bandar Abbas, port cities on the Strait of Hormuz. Warplanes were heard over Kish Island, and explosions rocked the port cities of Bandar Abbas, Konarak, and Chabahar, with some areas losing electricity.

Gulf nations reported Iranian attacks following the US strikes, with explosions in Bahrain's capital Manama, Kuwait intercepting missiles and drones, and Qatar issuing a security alert. The Kuwait military noted that any explosions heard were due to air defense interceptions.

Before ordering the latest strikes, Trump warned that if Iran continued targeting ships in the Strait of Hormuz, "it will get much worse." After the strikes, he posted on Truth Social that the actions were "in retribution for yesterday's bombing of ships by Iran."

Iran's parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, also the country's chief negotiator with the US, stated on X that America "still hasn't learned that bullying and breaking promises are no longer cost-free."

The escalation has prompted calls for de-escalation from mediators including Pakistan, Qatar, and the United Nations.

Sources