West Asia slid deeper into conflict early Sunday after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had launched a joint missile and drone operation targeting US military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain, hours after American forces struck multiple military targets inside Iran.

The IRGC said its navy and aerospace forces carried out the attacks in retaliation for US strikes on Iranian missile and drone storage facilities, coastal radar sites and other military infrastructure on Saturday.

Kuwait's army confirmed that its air defence systems were intercepting what it described as "hostile" missiles and drones. There was no immediate confirmation from US officials on damage or casualties at the targeted installations.

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US says strikes were response to tanker attack

The latest escalation followed US military strikes ordered by President Donald Trump.

US Central Command said American aircraft targeted Iranian military "surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defense sites, drone storage facilities, and minelayer capabilities" after what it described as an Iranian attack on a merchant vessel earlier on Saturday.

In a social media post, Trump said the US had "struck Iranian missile and drone storage locations, and coastal radar sites, for violating the Cease Fire Agreement, AGAIN!"

He warned there could come a point when the United States would no longer be able to be reasonable and "will be forced to militarily complete the job."

"If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist!" Trump wrote on Truth Social.

US Central Command said Iranian forces attacked the oil tanker Kiku with a one-way drone. The vessel, carrying more than two million barrels of crude oil, was transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

Ship-tracking data showed the tanker had departed a Qatari oil field earlier in the week and was headed for a port in the United Arab Emirates via a route near the Omani coast that has emerged as an alternative to waters controlled by Iran.

The incident came just days after another exchange in which an Iranian drone struck a merchant vessel off the coast of Oman on Thursday, prompting US retaliatory strikes the following day.

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Iran accuses the US of violating ceasefire

In a strongly worded statement, the IRGC accused Washington of violating the ceasefire and said the latest attacks were also in response to what it described as US strikes on five Iranian coastal positions under the pretext of responding to the Strait of Hormuz vessel incident.

The Guard warned that any breach of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding would bring all ongoing diplomatic processes to a halt. It also said vessels it considered to be in violation could face stronger action and warned that any "enemy aggression" would receive a "crushing response."

The exchange has raised fresh concerns that the conflict could spiral despite an interim agreement between Washington and Tehran aimed at reaching a broader settlement.

Strait of Hormuz emerges as flashpoint

A multinational maritime body overseen by the US Navy said Saturday it would expand the Omani shipping route to allow both inbound and outbound traffic, a move that could further heighten tensions with Tehran, which views the Strait of Hormuz as a key source of leverage in negotiations with Washington.

The US military said "Iran had a chance to honor the ceasefire agreement" but "elected not to" when its forces attacked the Kiku.

Iranian state television reported explosions in an area north of the Strait of Hormuz following the American strikes.

Bahrain condemns drone attack

Earlier on Saturday, Bahrain's Foreign Ministry said a "number of Iranian drones" had targeted the country, calling the attack "a flagrant threat to the security of citizens and residents." No immediate damage was reported.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard said it had targeted several locations belonging to the "US terrorist army in the region" but did not specify the sites.

Bahrain, home to the US Navy's Fifth Fleet, has been among Iran's strongest regional critics. The kingdom recently hosted US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Gulf Cooperation Council foreign ministers, who called for an end to Iranian attacks and for the Strait of Hormuz to remain fully open.

US Vice President JD Vance, who has led negotiations with Iran, said Friday that Tehran should "pick up the phone" if there were disagreements over the ceasefire, adding that "violence will be met with violence."

The US and Iran continue to negotiate the terms of a broader agreement, including freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and the future of Iran's nuclear programme and stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

Published on: Jun 28, 2026 7:35 AM IST