US Strikes Iran After Missile, Drone Attacks on Gulf Allies

Iran fired ballistic missiles and drones toward Bahrain and Kuwait early Saturday, with Bahrain's government declaring it a "serious escalation" and calling on Tehran to immediately cease attacks on its Gulf neighbors. The incoming projectiles were intercepted, Bahrain's government said. Iran's Revolutionary Guard targeted the Ali Al Salem air base in Kuwait, which hosts U.S. forces, and the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet in Bahrain, according to the state-run IRNA news agency. In response, the U.S. military attacked Iranian coastal surveillance radar sites on Qeshm Island and near Sirik, with U.S. Central Command stating that Iranian attack drones posed an "immediate threat to regional maritime traffic." Tehran called the U.S. strikes a violation of the fragile ceasefire. The exchange of fire came as the Trump administration pressed Iran to finalize a deal to end the war, which has strained the global economy and sent energy prices spiking. U.S. and Iranian negotiators reached a tentative agreement a week ago to extend the ceasefire by 60 days and launch a new round of talks on Iran's nuclear program, but Trump has called for unspecified changes and Iranian officials have shown no public sign of agreeing. Earlier in the week, Iranian drones heavily damaged a passenger terminal at Kuwait's main airport, killing one person and wounding dozens. The U.S. military has maintained its blockade on Iranian ports in response to Tehran's chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial corridor for global oil and natural gas shipments. Regional complications continue to challenge diplomatic efforts. The ongoing fighting in Lebanon, where Israeli forces have seized large swaths of the south while targeting the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group, threatens efforts to end the Iran conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has demanded that any lasting truce extend to Lebanon, and Hezbollah has rejected a ceasefire agreement between the Lebanese government and Israel brokered by the U.S. On Saturday, Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon killed nine people including three members of the Lebanese military. Despite the tensions, Trump told reporters Friday that "the situation with Iran seems to be going quite well" and promised the U.S. would emerge from the conflict "very quickly and it is going to be very strong one way or the other."