US-Iran Ceasefire Collapses: Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar on Alert
The United States and Iran have once again escalated tensions in the Middle East. Fresh attacks took place on Wednesday night or in the early hours of Thursday (9/7/2026).
This came mere hours after US President Donald Trump declared that the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Tehran, previously signed in June, had “ended”. Trump, who was attending the NATO Summit in Turkey, also threatened to strike Iran hard in another wave of attacks.
Citing Al-Jazeera, explosions have been reported in Iranian cities along the Strait of Hormuz, including Bushehr, Chabahar, Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Jask, and Abu Musa Island. One person was reported killed in Iranshahr and three in Ahvaz.
So what are the facts and the latest updates?
- US Bombs 90 Sites in Iran
The US military’s CENTCOM said it had struck 90 targets in a new wave of attacks against Iran. The US said the strikes were carried out to reduce Iran’s ability to attack commercial vessels and innocent civilian sailors in the Strait of Hormuz.
“US forces struck approximately 90 Iranian military targets including air defence systems, coastal surveillance assets, missile and drone storage locations, naval capabilities, and military logistics infrastructure along the Iranian coastline,” the US forces in the Middle East stated.
CENTCOM added that this latest strike followed the successful execution of offensive attacks in Iran the previous night. Previously, US forces claimed to have struck more than 80 targets in Iran.
- Iran Attacks Kuwait and Bahrain
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed attacks on “key infrastructure and facilities” at US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain. The IRGC said the attacks constituted the first phase of a “punitive response” to the recent US strikes on Iran.
In a statement broadcast by the IRIB television station, the IRGC said its navy and air force had carried out a combined missile and drone operation hours after the US attacks. The operation targeted Camp Arifjan and Ali Al Salem air base in Kuwait, as well as the Juffair and Sheikh Isa bases in Bahrain.
- Strait of Hormuz Traffic Nearly Stops
Maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has nearly halted after US attacks on Iran on two consecutive days. This was reported by Bloomberg News, as carried by Al-Jazeera.
Citing ship tracking data, only one US-sanctioned supertanker was seen leaving the Gulf alongside an Iranian-flagged container ship. Around 14 cargo vessels crossed the strait in both directions yesterday, a figure noted as the lowest since the US-Iran MoU on 16 June.
“An average of 34 vessels crossed the strait each day in the three weeks since the two countries agreed to the interim deal,” the site noted.
- Oil Prices Rise
Oil prices rose following the new US military attacks on Iran, heightening concerns about supply disruptions in the Middle East.
Citing CNBC International, futures contracts for the international Brent crude benchmark for September delivery rose 1.03 per cent to US$78.82 per barrel. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures for August rose 1.06 per cent to US$74.29 per barrel.
- Trump Compared to George Bush During the Iraq War
One commentator, former Republican Party congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, suddenly commented on Trump’s new attacks on Iran. She likened Trump to former President George Bush during the Iraq war.
“Iran bombed ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz so Trump bombs Iran, and oil prices start rising again and the stock market falls, making buying opportunities ripe,” she wrote on X.
“Then Trump once again says he’s bombing Iran because ‘Iran cannot have nuclear weapons.’ Repeating it at least 60 times to the press today. I wasn’t aware that Iran’s nuclear programme was located in the Strait of Hormuz, which controls the oil,” she added.
“It feels much more like a post-9/11 Bush-era Middle East war lie and war economics politics than genuine concern about Iran having nuclear weapons, just like Iraq having weapons of mass destruction. Literally, whatever we decided we were done with from the Republican Party.”
- Khamenei’s Coffin
Meanwhile, the coffin of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in US and Israeli attacks on Tehran on 28 February, is now being transported from Najaf in Iraq to Mashhad in Iran ahead of his funeral today. The transfer forms part of the final funeral rites lasting six days across Iran and Iraq, including in the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala.
Mohammad Mohammadi Golpayegani, head of Khamenei’s office, said the late leader had requested to be buried in Mashhad, near the shrine of Imam Reza, one of the most revered figures in Shia Islam.
- Qatar Issues Warning
Qatar’s Ministry of Interior has issued a warning declaring a “high security threat level” as US attacks on Iran resumed. Qatar urged residents to stay at home and in safe locations.
- Iran Threatens the US Will Face Consequences
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has warned the United States that “oppression and broken promises are no longer without consequences”. He also warned against US pressure on the Strait of Hormuz, saying the strait would only remain open through an “Iranian arrangement”, not “American threats”.
“Let me be clear: strike, and you will be struck,” Ghalibaf wrote in a post on X.
“Do not stumble about aimlessly, or you will sink deeper,” he wrote.