Key facts
- Iran launched missile and drone attacks against Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait, all of which host U.S. military bases.
- The Iranian strikes followed a U.S. air assault on Iranian targets.
- Kuwait's military reported intercepting 33 drones, a cruise missile, and a ballistic missile.
- The U.S. military is preparing to resume a naval blockade against Iranian ports and coastal areas in the Strait of Hormuz.
- U.S. forces have begun additional strikes to degrade Iranian capabilities used to attack commercial shipping.
Iran launched a fresh wave of missile and drone attacks against Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait, all nations hosting U.S. military bases, just before a planned blockade was to go into effect. These strikes followed a five-hour American air assault on Iranian targets. The Kuwaiti military reported shooting down 33 drones, a cruise missile, and a ballistic missile.
U.S. forces have begun an additional round of strikes against Iran to degrade capabilities used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, as American forces prepare to resume the naval blockade against Iranian ports and coastal areas. The U.S. maintains a significant military presence in the region, including two aircraft carriers, about 20 warships, and 2,500 Marines at sea, with warplanes and long-range rocket artillery stationed in friendly countries. Approximately 50,000 American troops are deployed in the Middle East.
Windward intelligence, a private firm tracking shipping, reported tracking 23 vessels operating in the Persian Gulf as potential blockade-breakers, with 10 of them carrying approximately $432.3 million in cargo.