Iran fires on Gulf neighbors after US military strikes Iranian military targets

Audio By Carbonatix

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — An Iranian drone attack sparked a blaze in Kuwait City and Bahrain intercepted incoming drones, as Tehran fired on U.S. allies in the Gulf early Wednesday following a night of American bombardment that included a deadly strike on a wedding party.

The latest violence has ended a monthlong lull in fighting between the U.S. and Iran and raised new questions about how to end a war that has led to a spike in oil prices, roiled the global economy and is posing increasing political problems for U.S. President Donald Trump’s Republican Party ahead of November midterm elections.

After a respite of more than a month, fighting between the U.S. and Iran has increased since the weekend after the American military hit Iranian rocket launchers on an island in the Strait of Hormuz, saying Iran was planning to use them to shoot mines into the waterway. Iran retaliated by firing missiles at American bases in Jordan, which were all intercepted.

Iran fired missiles at Jordan and drones at Kuwait late Tuesday, all of which were intercepted. On Monday, the United Arab Emirates said it had intercepted an incoming Iranian drone over its waters as well.

Bahrain, which hosts an important U.S. naval base, said its air defense systems intercepted incoming fire from Iran early Wednesday, accusing Iran of “attacks targeting civilians” in a statement issued by its military.

Also on Wednesday, Kuwait’s government communications center said a fire broke out at a residential complex in the capital after it was hit by an Iranian drone at dawn. It said the blaze had been contained and there were no casualties.

Elsewhere in the region, in Iraq where Iranian-backed proxy forces are active, Kurdistan's Counter-Terrorism Directorate said it had intercepted 10 drones laden with explosives in the Irbil area. Iranian television reported that American bases in Irbil had been targeted.

Israel's military also said that Iran-backed Hezbollah fired two explosive drones at its soldiers in southern Lebanon but there were no casualties.

The U.S. Central Command said Tuesday's strikes focused on Iranian military targets including air defense sites, radar systems and maritime assets.

One U.S. strike hit a home hosting a wedding, according to Iranian media. At least five people were killed, including a child, and at least 68 were wounded, Iranian officials said.

“Make no mistake: these crimes will not go unpunished,” Ebrahim Azizi, chairperson of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said on X.

The U.S. military said it was aware of the report but that it “never targets civilians.”

During last month's lull in fighting, the U.S. ramped up economic pressure on Iran, which is suffering from soaring inflation, negative growth and a collapsing currency, as Washington sought to win concessions to fully open the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping traffic.

About a fifth of the world's traded oil was shipped through the key waterway before Israel and the U.S. attacked Iran on Feb. 28 and Iran largely shut it down. Despite many pronouncements from Washington that the strait is open, only a handful of ships are making the passage each day and Iran has regularly attacked vessels.

Since the fighting resumed, the price of Brent crude oil, the international standard, climbed above $95, up more than 30% from the start of the war.

In launching its latest attacks, U.S. Central Command said it was responding to Tehran trying to hit commercial ships and American forces in the Middle East.

Trump offered an additional explanation, telling Fox News in a phone call that U.S. forces struck radar systems that Iran had been trying to rebuild.

“We waited until it was almost built and then we hit it,” he said.

Late Tuesday, Trump said he would not force Iran to the bargaining table.

“I couldn’t care less if they sign a worthless, to them, agreement. I like our position now much better, with almost total control of the Hormuz Strait, and their economy totally collapsing. They are just playing out the inevitable. When are the Iranian people going to rise up and fight?” Trump wrote on social media.

Earlier, Trump had appeared to pivot toward trying to bend Iran to his will through economic sanctions. He warned that if Iran retaliated for the new strikes, “they will be hit again at a much harder and higher level.”

___

Finley reported from Washington.