Iran Says It Struck U.S. Bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, Widening the War Into the Gulf Monarchies

Iran's army said Friday that it had launched kamikaze-drone attacks on United States military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, targeting the Ahmad al-Jaber and Ali Al Salem bases in Kuwait and the Sheikh Isa base in Bahrain. Tehran said the strikes hit aircraft hangars, satellite-communications and navigation systems and equipment storage, and described them as retaliation for a U.S. "heavy wave" of strikes on dozens of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) sites. CNBC and Al Jazeera reported the claims. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and Kuwaiti officials have not confirmed that any facilities were hit.

The claimed attacks followed a drone strike on two ships at Egypt's Mediterranean port of Damietta, one of them a floating regasification unit owned by an American company, the first attack on Egyptian soil since the war began in late February. Taken together, the events draw additional Gulf and Mediterranean states directly into a conflict that had centered on Iran, Israel and the Strait of Hormuz.

The escalation came even as intermediaries reported movement toward talks. In northwestern Iran, residents gathered for the funeral of Revolutionary Guard members whom Tehran says were killed in a U.S. strike, Al Jazeera reported. Pakistan, acting as a channel between the sides, said U.S.-Iran talks were ongoing even as the two continued to trade attacks, according to The Hindu's live coverage. The same report noted that Saudi Arabia had assembled a maritime defense alliance of 14 regional countries to secure navigation around the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a sign that Gulf states are building their own security arrangements as the conflict continues.

Damage assessments remain contested. The South China Morning Post reported that Chinese satellite data has challenged some U.S. claims about the scale and success of its strikes, a reminder that figures in this conflict are shaped by the interests of whoever releases them. Market reaction was limited. Brent crude traded near $86 a barrel on Friday, on course for a monthly gain of more than 20%, according to CNBC.