The conflict in the Middle East has entered a second week of escalation, with Iran launching a wave of attacks against US allies in the region. These strikes follow seven consecutive nights of US military operations aimed at degrading Iranian capabilities, including the targeting of civilian infrastructure such as bridges and power facilities.
In Kuwait, officials reported that Iranian missiles and drones targeted civilian sites and vital infrastructure, including a power and water desalination plant. The country, which relies on desalinated sources for 90% of its drinking water, was forced to briefly close its airspace. Kuwaiti authorities confirmed that several firefighters and a worker sustained injuries while battling blazes ignited by the strikes. Furthermore, the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation reported that an oil facility was targeted, resulting in significant material losses and additional injuries.
The Gulf Cooperation Council’s secretary-general, Jasem Mohamed al-Budaiwi, condemned the actions as a dangerous escalation and a violation of international law, labeling the targeting of civilian infrastructure as war crimes. Kuwait’s foreign ministry echoed this sentiment, describing the attacks as a systematic hostile approach.
Elsewhere, Jordan’s state-run Petra news agency reported that the kingdom’s air defense systems successfully downed Iranian missiles, while Bahrain activated air sirens on Saturday to warn residents to seek shelter from incoming threats. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed to have destroyed US fighter aircraft and other planes during a strike on a base in Azraq, Jordan. They also alleged that a US radar facility at Ali Al Salem airbase and a support center at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait were hit, alongside claims of targeting a site in Bahrain hosting US combat aircraft and an intelligence datacentre.
The IRGC also asserted it had stopped four ships in the Strait of Hormuz and claimed two oil tankers had exploded after hitting mines, a statement the US military dismissed as false. US Central Command confirmed its own ongoing strikes have targeted Iranian surveillance sites, underground weapons storage, and military logistics infrastructure. According to Iran’s health ministry, 50 people have been killed and over 500 wounded since the hostilities began. Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei warned of “unforgettable lessons” if US attacks continue, while Maj Gen Mohsen Rezaee stated that Tehran would move beyond retaliatory responses to full-scale offensive operations if the US does not cease its strikes within days.
