Key facts
- Iran claimed responsibility for drone strikes on U.S. military facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain.
- Kuwait's army announced the interception of hostile drone attacks.
- Iraq's Prime Minister ordered increased air defence and readiness following U.S.-Saudi strikes.
- Lebanon's Prime Minister condemned Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon as a ceasefire violation.
- A tanker was struck by an unknown projectile off the coast of Oman.
- Maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz dropped by 77% day-on-day.
- Turkey urged Iran to cease attacks on Kurdish groups.
- China conducted naval and air drills around the Scarborough Shoal.
- Italy is deploying approximately 400 air force personnel and four Eurofighter jets to the Gulf region.
Regional tensions have significantly escalated following Iran's claim of responsibility for drone strikes targeting U.S. military facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain. These attacks have contributed to a rise in oil prices, although increased tanker traffic from the Strait of Hormuz has partially capped these gains. The U.S. military has refuted Iran's assertions of closing the Strait of Hormuz, emphasizing its continued openness for commercial transit. Maritime analytics firm Kpler reported a substantial 77% day-on-day decrease in traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, with only five vessels recorded.
In parallel, Kuwait's army announced the interception of hostile drone attacks, attributing any audible explosions to these defensive actions, and described the events as "Iranian aggression." Iraq's Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has ordered an increase in air defence capabilities and overall military readiness following joint U.S.-Saudi strikes on Iranian-backed militias accused of regional attacks. Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon as a "blatant violation of the ceasefire," accusing Israel of breaching sovereignty and international law. Israel stated these strikes targeted Hezbollah positions and occurred shortly after expulsion orders, hitting several towns and injuring one person.
Further complicating the regional picture, Turkey has conveyed a message to Iran urging a halt to attacks on Kurdish groups, expressing concern that such actions could push these groups towards Israel and disrupt Turkey's peace talks with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Separately, a tanker sustained engine room damage after being struck by an unknown projectile approximately 11 nautical miles northeast of Oman, leaving it adrift. This incident occurred near another report of an explosion close to a vessel in the same area. Italy's defense minister dismissed criticism regarding the deployment of approximately 400 air force personnel and four Eurofighter jets to the Gulf region, asserting parliamentary transparency.
In a separate development, China's military conducted joint air and naval drills around the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, citing a response to actions undermining regional stability, days after the Philippines lodged a territorial protest.