US-Iran Ceasefire Collapses: Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar on Alert

The United States and Iran have returned to open conflict in the Middle East, with new attacks occurring just hours after President Donald Trump declared a previous memorandum of understanding with Tehran void. Trump, attending a NATO summit in Turkey, threatened further severe strikes against Iran. Explosions were reported in several Iranian cities along the Strait of Hormuz, including Bushehr, Chabahar, Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Jask, and Abu Musa Island, resulting in at least four reported fatalities. The US military’s Central Command confirmed it struck 90 targets in a new wave of attacks aimed at degrading Iran’s ability to target commercial shipping and civilian mariners in the Strait of Hormuz. Targets included air defence systems, coastal surveillance assets, missile and drone storage sites, naval capabilities, and logistical infrastructure. In retaliation, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed it launched a combined missile and drone operation against US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, targeting Camp Arifjan, Ali Al Salem Air Base, Juffair base, and Sheikh Isa base. Maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has nearly ground to a halt, with only a handful of vessels crossing, marking the lowest traffic since a previous ceasefire. The renewed conflict has pushed oil prices higher, with Brent crude rising above USD 78 per barrel. Meanwhile, the body of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, killed in an earlier US-Israeli strike, is being transported from Najaf, Iraq, to Mashhad, Iran, for burial. Qatar’s Interior Ministry issued a high-level security alert urging citizens to stay home, and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned the US of consequences, stating the Strait of Hormuz will only open under Iranian terms.