Breaking: Iran Fires Missiles at Kuwait and Bahrain

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - Tensions in the Arab world have escalated sharply. Iran reportedly launched attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait on Wednesday (8/7/2026). This follows an American strike that hit 80 targets in Iran, including air defence systems, command and control networks, and anti-ship missile capabilities. The US claimed this was in retaliation for Tehran’s attacks on three commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Citing CNA, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it targeted 85 US military sites in the two countries in response to a ‘ceasefire violation’. The devastating attack, it added, was a ‘response to Iran’s targeting of ships transiting the vital waterway and will inflict significant losses on those who target and attack commercial vessels’. Meanwhile, the Kuwaiti army stated on X that it was responding to missile and drone attacks, without specifying their origin. Air raid sirens were also activated in Bahrain, urging residents to head to the nearest safe location. Previously, Iran and the US had maintained a ceasefire since 8 April, but the fragile conditions led to repeated violations. On 19 June, the US and Iran signed a conflict de-escalation measure. In a post, US Army Centcom said the strikes aimed ‘to impose significant costs for the targeting and attacking of commercial vessels crewed by innocent civilians in international waterways’. The new US and Iranian attacks threaten to reignite conflict in the region and could spark fears that the Strait of Hormuz will be closed again, causing oil prices to spike and triggering inflation worldwide.