The recent attacks further challenge an unstable ceasefire and have led to a nearly 2% increase in oil prices, as the Strait remains mostly closed more than three months after US and Israeli strikes on Iran.
Kuwait International Airport suspended flights after an Iranian drone and missile assault damaged airport facilities and diplomatic missions, resulting in one death and over 60 injuries, according to Kuwaiti authorities and state media.
Flights with Kuwait Airways and Jazeera Airways resumed later, following safety measures, as stated by the civil aviation authority.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards denied any attack on Kuwait’s airport, attributing the damage to US interceptor missiles that allegedly missed their targets, as reported by Iranian state media.
The US military refuted this, claiming Iranian drones deliberately targeted the airport.
Earlier reports from Iranian media indicated that the Revolutionary Guards attacked the US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain, a US airbase, and a ship named Panaya.
The US Central Command dismissed claims of its bases being hit and stated that Iranian ballistic missiles did not reach their targets in the region.
CENTCOM reported conducting a series of “defensive strikes” in southern Iran, targeting missile sites and Iranian boats attempting to lay mines, along with strikes on Qeshm Island near the Strait of Hormuz following Iranian attempts at attacks.
Since US and Israeli strikes on Iran began on February 28, Tehran has frequently targeted US military bases in the Gulf region.
Despite a ceasefire agreed upon in early April, hostilities have continued to flare up, as the US seeks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which previously handled about 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.
Last week, Iran and the US hinted at progress towards a preliminary agreement to end the conflict and reopen the strait, but the deal remains unsigned, leaving more complex negotiations for the future.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told Lebanese broadcaster Al Mayadeen that talks had not ceased but had not advanced either.
Tehran has set conditions for a deal, including ending the conflict in Lebanon, accessing billions in oil revenue, waivers on sanctions for crude exports, lifting a US blockade on its ports, and maintaining leverage over the strait.
US President Donald Trump, under pressure to reduce fuel prices, stated his main goal is to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful. In a podcast released Wednesday, Trump said Iran agreed to forego nuclear weapons and that Khamenei was part of the negotiations.
Later, Trump suggested potential progress in talks with Iran might occur over the weekend, mentioning, “If it happens, it could happen over the weekend,” without specifying expected outcomes.
Trump noted efforts to separate the reopening of the strait from the Lebanese conflict.
The war has claimed thousands of lives, mainly in Iran and Lebanon, while inflicting global economic hardship by severely disrupting energy and shipping routes.
This conflict has also reignited tensions between Israel and Iran-supported Hezbollah. On Wednesday, Israeli drone strikes killed at least six people in southern Lebanon and targeted a car south of Beirut, according to Lebanese security sources. Israel claimed to intercept a hostile aircraft, likely launched by Hezbollah.
Araqchi stated Iran would respond decisively to any Israeli attacks on Beirut. In his podcast, Trump mentioned calling Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “crazy” in a heated phone call about the Lebanon conflict, as he pursued a broader peace agreement.
Netanyahu told CNBC that while he and Trump sometimes had “tactical disagreements,” they aligned on key issues regarding Iran.
