Iran launches missile and drone strikes on Bahrain, Kuwait

Iran launched missile and drone attacks targeting Bahrain and Kuwait early on Thursday, July 16, 2026, in retaliation for a renewed U.S. naval blockade and an intensified American airstrike campaign. The strikes mark a significant escalation that has effectively shredded a recent interim peace deal and raised fears of a wider regional war.

The U.S. military reimposed its blockade on Iran and conducted multiple waves of airstrikes over a 24-hour period beginning Wednesday, July 15. American forces targeted dozens of sites, including Iranian defense and missile positions on Greater Tunb Island in the Strait of Hormuz and a barracks for Iran's 388th Mechanized Infantry Brigade in Sistan and Baluchestan province. Iranian state television reported the barracks strike killed at least seven troops, including conscripts and career soldiers, and wounded a number of others. A spokesperson for the Iranian Health Ministry said more than 35 people have been killed and over 300 wounded by U.S. airstrikes in recent days, a toll far larger than in previous exchanges.

In response, Iran fired dozens of missiles and drones at neighboring Gulf states. Air raid sirens sounded in Bahrain, where the...