Iran has reportedly launched attacks on American military facilities in Jordan and Bahrain, issuing a warning to Gulf states that they bear what it described as a “responsibility” to prevent the United States and Israel from using their territories to carry out operations against the Islamic Republic.
The strikes followed earlier U.S. military action against Iran, which Washington said was in response to the downing of an American helicopter. The escalation has placed significant strain on a ceasefire agreement that had been in effect since April, raising fears that the fragile pause in hostilities could collapse entirely.
In Bahrain’s capital, Manama, eyewitnesses and an AFP correspondent reported hearing multiple loud explosions during the incident. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps later claimed responsibility, stating that it had targeted a U.S. military installation in the country.
Separately, Iranian forces said they fired long-range missiles at U.S. positions in Jordan. Jordan’s armed forces confirmed that several missiles were intercepted mid-air, adding that there were no reported casualties or damage on the ground. Bahraini authorities similarly stated that their air defense systems successfully intercepted and destroyed multiple incoming aerial threats.
Regional tensions also appeared to spread further, with Kuwait reporting that its air defense units engaged unidentified hostile aerial objects, though it did not immediately assign blame. Iran has recently been linked to additional attacks in the broader region, further heightening security concerns among Gulf states.
Amid the escalation, Iran’s foreign ministry emphasized what it called the legal and moral duty of regional countries—particularly those along the southern shores of the Persian Gulf—to prevent their territory or infrastructure from being used by U.S. or Israeli forces for military planning, support, or operations against Iran.
The renewed exchange of strikes has intensified international alarm, especially as it coincides with global diplomatic and sporting events. Observers warn that the situation risks undermining ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed at achieving a more durable settlement to the wider conflict in the Middle East.
