A new U.S.-Iran escalation is widening across the region, after Washington struck Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz and Tehran claimed attacks on U.S. military sites in Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait.
The latest exchange unfolded from Tuesday into Wednesday, adding further pressure to a fragile ceasefire reached in April and putting several countries that host U.S. forces once again on alert.
Jordan said it intercepted five missiles, Kuwait reported air defence activity, and Bahrain sounded warning sirens, while U.S. officials said that to date, there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage to American sites.
The U.S. military said it struck Iranian air defence, ground control, and surveillance radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz after President Donald Trump said an American Apache helicopter was downed earlier this week.
An American official said the operation lasted around four hours and hit nearly 20 Iranian targets.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces began launching self-defense strikes against Iran at 5 p.m. ET today at the Commander in Chief’s direction, in response to yesterday’s downing of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter. The mission is a proportional response to unjustified Iranian…
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) June 9, 2026
Iranian state media said Qeshm Island and the port city of Sirik were attacked, while explosions were also heard near Bandar Abbas and Jask.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps later said it carried out retaliatory attacks on U.S. military positions in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan. The IRGC claimed drone attacks on the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain and Ali Al Salem airbase in Kuwait, as well as a long-range missile strike on an airbase in Azraq, Jordan.
In Jordan, the armed forces said they intercepted and shot down five missiles launched from Iran towards Azraq. The military said falling shrapnel caused no injuries or material damage.
In Kuwait, the army said its air defence systems were engaging “hostile aerial targets” and urged the public to follow official safety instructions.
In Bahrain, warning sirens were sounded after Iran claimed it had targeted the U.S. Fifth Fleet with drones. Bahrain’s Interior Ministry urged the public to move to safety, while a media adviser to Bahrain’s king said air defences had responded to the attacks.
A U.S. official in talks with Reuters said initial assessments indicate that nearly all Iranian missiles and drones were intercepted, with no immediate reports of harm to U.S. personnel or damage to American sites or assets.
The latest exchange mounts pressure on already fragile diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran, while raising renewed concerns over security around the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy routes
