Iran attacks Bahrain with drones, hits tanker in Strait of Hormuz, raising Gulf tensions

Iran’s Quds Force launched drones against Bahrain, prompting the Bahrain Interior Ministry to sound air‑raid sirens twice in one morning and warning residents to seek shelter. Bahrain’s foreign ministry condemned the attacks as a deliberate pattern of aggression and called for an extraordinary UN Security Council meeting, describing the actions as a direct threat to Gulf Cooperation Council security.

In the same wave of hostilities, Iran claimed responsibility for striking the Panama‑flagged oil tanker Kiku near the Strait of Hormuz, a key chokepoint for global oil shipments. The vessel, carrying more than two million barrels of crude, was hit but suffered limited damage. Kuwait also reported repelling hostile missile and drone attacks on its air defenses. The United States, which operates a naval base in Bahrain and an air base in Kuwait, responded later with strikes on Iranian military facilities after earlier U.S. attacks on Iranian soil.

The incidents test a recently brokered deal aimed at limiting naval confrontations in the Gulf, heightening concerns about a broader escalation that could disrupt oil flows and regional stability.