Kuwait condemns 'heinous aggression' as Iran launches fresh attack

Tehran: Iran launched drone and missile attacks targeting Kuwait and Bahrain in retaliation for recent US airstrikes, prompting strong condemnation from Gulf states and raising fresh fears of a wider regional conflict.

The conflict between Iran and the United States escalated further on Sunday after Iran launched drone and missile attacks targeting Kuwait and Bahrain in retaliation for recent American airstrikes. The strikes have deepened concerns that the fragile ceasefire efforts in the Middle East could collapse.

Kuwait's Foreign Ministry strongly condemned what it described as a repeated violation of its sovereignty. In a statement, the ministry said it "expresses its condemnation and denunciation of... in the strongest terms, the recurrence of Iran's heinous aggression against the State of Kuwait, the latest of which was at dawn today, in a flagrant violation of its sovereignty."

According to Kuwaiti authorities, the country's air defence systems intercepted two incoming Iranian ballistic missiles and several drones. Officials said there were no reports of casualties or material damage. Kuwait hosts a major United States Army base, making it a key strategic location in the Gulf.

Neighbouring Bahrain also reported Iranian strikes. The country's Interior Ministry said a residential building near Bahrain International Airport was damaged, though no deaths or injuries were reported. Bahrain, which hosts the headquarters of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet, condemned the attack as part of what it called a deliberate pattern of repeated Iranian aggression.

The attacks followed fresh US military strikes on Iranian military infrastructure. The US Central Command said it targeted surveillance systems, communication facilities, air defence sites, drone storage locations and mine-laying capabilities after Iran allegedly attacked the Panamanian-flagged oil tanker Kiku in the Strait of Hormuz.

US President Donald Trump accused Tehran of violating the ceasefire agreement and warned that further attacks could trigger a much stronger American military response. In a social media post, he said the United States had struck Iranian missile and drone facilities after Iran again breached the ceasefire.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying they were aimed at US military facilities in Kuwait. The Guard warned that continued violations of the ceasefire by Washington would lead to "a complete halt of ongoing processes," signalling that diplomatic negotiations could be suspended.

The latest escalation also centres on the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's busiest oil shipping routes. Iran insists it should control navigation through the strategic waterway, while the United States and its allies maintain that it remains an international passage. Recent attacks on commercial vessels have further heightened tensions in the region.

The renewed exchange of strikes between Iran, the United States and Gulf states has cast serious doubt over ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the conflict, with fears growing that the crisis could expand into a broader regional confrontation.