Kuwait on Thursday temporarily closed its airspace due to “Iranian aggression” in intercepting “hostile air targets” following the US attack on Tehran.
Israel’s Home Front Forces also warned of firing from Lebanon toward several communities in northern Israel.
According to the state-run Tasnim news agency, Iran has “attacked and destroyed 18 high-value targets” of U.S. forces at Kuwait’s Ali Salem Air Base and Ahmad Al Jaber Air Base, as well as Bahrain’s Sheikh Isa Air Base. Kuwait reopened its airspace hours later.
A media adviser to Bahrain’s king said the country’s air defense systems intercepted and destroyed an “Iranian air attack.” Earlier in the day, Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior urged civilians to head to safe areas.
This escalation follows “Iran’s unjust and continued aggression” and U.S. strikes against multiple targets in Iran at the direction of President Donald Trump.
Centcom said the attack was completed at 9:04 p.m. ET on Wednesday, adding that Iran’s military surveillance capabilities, communication systems and air defense facilities were attacked. U.S. forces fired on Iranian targets that “posed a threat to U.S. military and international commercial shipping transiting regional waters.”
Iranian state media earlier reported that Iran was targeting US ships in the Strait of Hormuz with missiles and drones. Later, Reuters reported that Iran’s military high command had completely closed the Strait of Hormuz and warned that ships attempting to cross would be targeted.
President Trump later told Fox News that he spoke directly with Iranian officials and asked them to halt the attack. The prime minister said the bombing had stopped immediately and that Israel was not involved, but left the door open for further military action, according to the Fox broadcast.
When asked if the ceasefire was over, President Trump reportedly said, “This is the most violated ceasefire in history.”
The airstrikes came after President Trump earlier Wednesday said the United States would again attack Iran “very, very hard” and escalated his public threats as he pressured Tehran to sign the deal.
“We hit them hard yesterday, and we’re going to hit them hard today,” President Trump said at a Safe America Act signing event at the White House. “We’re going to attack them as hard as we can.”
President Trump said Iran “must sign the deal” and that the United States wants a deal that “makes sense and works.”
“Let’s see what happens with the deal,” Trump said.
In response, Ebrahim Azizi, head of Iran’s parliament’s National Security Committee, said in a post on X on Wednesday afternoon that “this war is not limited to the region.”
The comments came after President Trump warned on Truth Social that Iran is taking too long to negotiate and “will pay a price” as military tensions between the US and Iran escalate.
“Iran’s military is in complete and utter disarray,” President Trump wrote Wednesday morning. “Much of it no longer even exists, as does Iran’s navy and air force. Iran has been completely defeated. Iran is all talk and no action.”
Oil and market reaction
Oil prices rose and U.S. stock futures fell after President Trump’s comments, with U.S. crude rising nearly 2% to $89.72 a barrel and Brent crude rising 1.3% to $92.74. of Dow Jones Industrial Average Since that statement, the stock has fallen more than 600 points.
“This is a military operation,” President Trump said, repeating his assertion that oil prices would return to levels before the war began in February. “Once that’s done, you’ll see the oil drop back down to its original position.”
Claudio Galimberti, chief economist at Rystad Energy, told CNBC earlier this week that with inventories currently at such low levels, oil prices could reach $150 per barrel in the coming months if fighting in the Middle East continues.
Tensions rose in the Middle East on Tuesday after the US military launched an offensive against Iran, which US Central Command said was “in response to yesterday’s downing of a US Apache helicopter.”
Iran has not directly claimed responsibility for the downing of the helicopter. Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reported that no offensive military operations had been carried out in the strait in the past 24 hours.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry did not respond to requests for comment.
