Iran Strikes Bahrain and Kuwait as US Airstrikes Enter Fourth Day
Iran launched retaliatory missile and drone strikes against Bahrain and Kuwait on Saturday, June 27, escalating a regional war that has seen U.S. forces hit Iranian targets for four consecutive days. The attacks — which Bahrain confirmed caused casualties at a residential area near Manama — came hours after Tehran warned it would halt all negotiations aimed at ending the conflict, according to AP News and Al Jazeera.
The strikes mark a significant widening of the conflict beyond the Strait of Hormuz, where tensions first erupted earlier this week after a commercial oil tanker was attacked. Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters, was struck at a residential compound south of the capital Manama. Kuwait’s interior ministry confirmed that Iranian projectiles landed in the northern desert region, damaging infrastructure but causing no confirmed casualties. The attacks follow airstrikes launched by the United States against Iranian military installations, which President Donald Trump authorized after accusing Tehran of ceasefire violations.
Iran Widens Retaliatory Campaign Across the Gulf
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps confirmed the attacks in a statement carried by state media, describing them as “the first wave” of retaliatory strikes targeting what it called U.S. military installations and “collaborator facilities” in both countries. The IRGC said the strikes were in direct response to what it described as repeated U.S. violations of a tacit ceasefire that had largely held since earlier this year. “The enemy must understand that every act of aggression will be met with a decisive and widening response,” the IRGC statement said.
Bahrain’s interior ministry confirmed that a residential area in the southern Muharraq district was struck, injuring at least four civilians and damaging at least a dozen homes. No military casualties were immediately reported. The strikes triggered air raid sirens across the island nation, which hosts roughly 8,000 American military personnel at the Al Khalifa Air Base. Kuwait’s foreign ministry summoned the Iranian charge d’affaires to protest what it called a “blatant violation of international law.”
The attacks threaten to drag additional Gulf states into an active conflict that the United States has so far tried to contain through targeted airstrikes rather than a full ground campaign. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have publicly called for restraint, though neither has offered direct military support to the U.S.-led campaign against Iranian targets.
Diplomatic Channels Collapse as Iran Pulls Out of Talks
Hours before the strikes, Iran’s foreign ministry announced it was withdrawing from indirect negotiations mediated by Oman and Switzerland, calling the U.S. airstrikes a “hostile act that closes all doors to diplomacy.” Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, who had personally hosted three rounds of talks between U.S. and Iranian officials, issued a statement expressing “deep regret” and called on both sides to return to the negotiating table. “War is not the answer,” the Omani statement said. “We remain ready to receive both parties at any time.”
The collapse of diplomatic channels significantly raises the stakes for the Trump administration, which faces pressure from hawkish Republicans to continue strikes while simultaneously managing the risk of a broader regional war that could disrupt global oil markets. A senior White House official, speaking on background, told reporters Saturday that the administration was “assessing next steps” but ruled out direct negotiations with Tehran “under current conditions.”
The U.S. State Department issued a travel advisory Saturday warning Americans against all travel to Bahrain, Kuwait, and the UAE, citing “ongoing armed conflict and the risk of indiscriminate attacks.” Several international airlines, including Emirates and Qatar Airways, announced the suspension of flights into Bahrain International Airport until further notice. Insurance markets have begun pricing war-risk premiums for Gulf shipping at levels not seen since the 2019 tanker seizures, according to Lloyd’s of London underwriters.
What Happens Next
The U.S. military’s Central Command is expected to brief allied governments on Sunday as part of a coordinated diplomatic response. The White House faces a decision between authorizing additional strikes — which could provoke Iran into targeting Saudi Arabia or striking U.S. bases in Iraq — or accepting a negotiated ceasefire on terms that would require both sides to pull back from current positions. Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is expected to address the nation in a televised broadcast Sunday evening. Global oil markets will be closely watching for any disruption to shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil passes daily.
