Kuwait intercepts Iranian drones, Bahrain sounds air raid sirens as US reimposes naval blockade amid escalating Iran tensions

Targeting commercial shipping or using the Strait of Hormuz as a tool of economic coercion or blackmail is unacceptable, according to a UAE minister. Lana Nusseibeh, UAE Minister of State, said: "Such actions amount to piracy and pose a direct threat to regional stability, the security of its peoples, and global energy security. Ultimately, our shared goal is to achieve enduring peace, stability, and security in the Gulf and across our wider regional neighbourhood.” 

Nusseibeh joined foreign ministers from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the European Union in Brussels at the High Level Forum on Regional Security and Cooperation to discuss regional developments in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. The meeting was co-convened by EU High Representative Kaja Kallas, GCC Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, and Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, and took place on the sidelines of the Foreign Affairs Council of EU ministers. 

Nusseibeh said: “We are closely aligned with our European partners when it comes to peace and security in the Gulf and the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. The present situation is not just a regional problem, but one that directly impacts global economic and security interests." 

Oil prices rose Wednesday as concerns over shipping security in the Strait of Hormuz and tighter supply expectations lifted benchmarks, with Abu Dhabi’s Murban crude posting the sharpest gains.

WTI for August delivery climbed 50 cents to $79.84 a barrel, up 0.63%, while Brent crude rose 80 cents to $85.53, gaining 0.94%.

Murban crude, the key Middle East benchmark, jumped $3.79 to $81.93 per barrel, a 4.85% surge.

Natural gas futures also edged higher, gaining 0.38% to $2.915.

The moves come amid lingering uncertainty in the Persian Gulf following the fragile US-Iran ceasefire.

Market participants are closely watching compliance with safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, which carries about one-fifth of global oil trade.

Specialised firefighting divisions in Kuwait on Tuesday successfully contained and extinguished a blaze caused by the hostile Iranian aerial aggression against the country, the Kuwait Fire Force (KFF) announced.

The official spokesperson for the KFF, Brigadier General Mohammad Al-Gharib, said in a press release carried by the Kuwait News Agency, that six KFF detachments, supported by rapid-response fire suppression units from the Kuwaiti Army and the National Guard, coordinated an immediate tactical intervention to isolate and suppress the fire.

Brigadier General Al-Gharib confirmed that emergency responders neutralised the hazard at the site with zero casualties reported, noting that the losses were limited to material damage.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Wednesday the Hormuz strait would remain closed until the United States ends its "acts of aggression" while warning that other regional oil export routes could also become targets.

Fighting between the United States and Iran, which began late February, has hampered energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, a key transit route for oil and gas shipments from the Gulf.

The Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said they carried out attacks on US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait following American strikes on Iranian territory, according to statements by Iranian state television IRIB. 

"The enemy should know that now that its maritime raiders have blocked the Indian Ocean route for oil and gas exports to the world -- thereby endangering the interests of America's economic rivals -- it should also expect the closure of other oil and gas export routes that serve the interests of the United States and its allies," the statement said.

The US military completed another round of strikes against Iran at 10 p.m. ET on July 14, hitting dozens of military targets near the Strait of Hormuz and along Iran's coastal areas. Fighter aircraft, drones, and naval vessels launched precision munitions over a seven-hour period against Iranian missile and drone sites, naval capabilities, and coastal defense systems, aiming to further degrade Tehran's ability to threaten commercial shipping and civilian crews. The strikes came the same day US forces resumed their naval blockade of vessels transiting to or from Iranian ports and coastal areas, which took effect at 4 pm ET. The US said its forces remain "vigilant, lethal, and prepared" to carry out operations directed by the Commander in Chief.

Jordan's Armed Forces said they thwarted an incursion into Jordanian airspace on Wednesday, intercepting and shooting down three missiles fired from Iranian territory, according to a statement carried by Petra, Jordan's official news agency. A military source added that the interception caused no human injuries or material damage.

US President Donald Trump convened a meeting in the White House Situation Room on Tuesday night to review plans for a broader wave of military strikes against Iran, according to a report by Axios citing three sources familiar with the discussions.

The report said the proposed campaign would extend beyond the current US operations around the Strait of Hormuz and target additional strategic sites inside Iran. The discussions reportedly focused on increasing military pressure on Tehran in an effort to force it to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and accept US demands over its nuclear programme.

Kuwait’s air defence systems were actively engaging hostile drone threats on Wednesday following what the Kuwaiti military described as part of ongoing Iranian aggression, according to an official statement from the General Staff of the Kuwaiti Armed Forces.

In a public advisory issued early Wednesday, July 15, 2026, the Kuwait Army General Headquarters confirmed that its defences were responding to incoming unmanned aerial vehicles.

The statement reassured residents that any explosions heard were the result of successful interceptions by air defence systems rather than impacts on the ground.

“Kuwaiti Air Defenses are currently responding to hostile drone threats,” the bilingual Arabic-English statement read. “The General Staff of the Kuwaiti Armed Forces confirms that any explosions that may be heard are the result of air defense systems intercepting hostile targets. The public is urged to adhere to safety and security instructions issued by the relevant authorities.”

US forces have conducted multiple rounds of strikes against Iranian military targets as tensions escalate in the Persian Gulf region, U.S. Central Command said, following what it described as "Iranian attacks on commercial vessels" and other "aggression".

In a statement released late on Tuesday, Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of CentCom, said Iran has "intentionally targeted civilians across the region by attacking seven commercial ships resulting in nearly a dozen civilian crew members killed, missing, or injured" over the past seven days.

Iranian forces have also launched dozens of missiles and drones toward neighboring Gulf countries, he added.

"US forces are holding Iran accountable for unwarranted aggression that continues to endanger innocent lives," Cooper said.

The statement accompanies ongoing US military operations. CentCom has reported completing several waves of strikes against Iranian sites, including coastal defense systems, missile and drone facilities, and maritime assets in locations such as Bushehr, Bandar Abbas and others.

One recent mission involved precision munitions over a five-hour period.

The operations stem from Iran's reported attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global oil transit, and broader regional hostilities.

US officials have framed the response as necessary to protect international maritime traffic and deter further Iranian actions against civilian and commercial targets. Iran has denied or countered such claims, accusing the US of aggression.

More than 50,000 US service members are deployed across the Middle East, with CentCom stating its forces "remain vigilant, lethal, and ready."

The situation remains fluid, with potential for further escalation in one of the world's most volatile regions.

Bahrain activated air raid sirens on Wednesday and urged residents to seek shelter after the United States carried out strikes against Iran and reinstated its naval blockade of Iranian ports, raising fears of further escalation in the Gulf.

"The siren has been sounded," Bahrain's Interior Ministry said in a post on X. "Citizens and residents are urged to remain calm and proceed to the nearest safe place."

The warning came as tensions surged across the region following renewed US military action against Iran, prompting Gulf states to heighten security measures amid concerns that the conflict could spill beyond Iran's borders.

Bahrain hosts the US Navy's Fifth Fleet, making it a key strategic hub for American military operations in the Middle East.

Iran appeared to be positioning vessels capable of evading a naval blockade just hours before the United States reinstated its naval blockade of Iranian ports on Wednesday, according to maritime intelligence firms that monitor global shipping.

The US blockade took effect at 12:01 am Gulf time (July 15) after Washington declared the collapse of a US-Iran memorandum of understanding that had temporarily eased restrictions on Iranian oil exports.

Marine tracker Windward told CNN it had identified 23 Iranian-linked vessels operating in or near the Strait of Hormuz that displayed behaviours commonly associated with so-called "dark vessels" — ships that disable or manipulate their Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders or use deceptive identity practices to make tracking more difficult.

US President Donald Trump has threatened a major escalation in the military campaign against Iran, saying the United States could begin striking the country's bridges, power plants and other critical infrastructure next week — if Iran doesn't return to negotiations.

Speaking to reporters, Trump said the US military has so far refrained from attacking some of Iran's most important civilian infrastructure but warned that restraint could end if Iran continues military operations and refuses to negotiate.

"Next week, it gets REALLY bad for them, because next week comes the POWER PLANTS. Next week comes the bridges. We're going to knock out ALL of their power plants."

Trump reinforced the warning, saying the campaign could intensify next week if there is no diplomatic breakthrough.

"We'll knock out all of their bridges unless they get to the table and negotiate."

Iran's Foreign Ministry said Tehran no longer considers itself obligated to fulfill parts of its memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the United States, accusing Washington of repeatedly violating the agreement reached last month to halt hostilities.

"As long as America does not act on its promises, no expectations should be held from Iran either," Baghaei said, adding that the MoU has entered a "crisis phase."

The US military says it has reimposed its blockade of Iranian ports in response to Iran's attacks on commercial ships on the Strait of Hormuz, as the interim ceasefire deal unravels and concerns grow about a return to all-out war.

The US first imposed the blockade in mid-April and then lifted it in mid-June, a day after the signing of the interim deal aimed at permanently ending the war. The deal set a 60-day timeline to also negotiate an agreement on Iran's nuclear program, but talks have stalled as fighting over the strait has intensified.

When US President Donald Trump announced the return of the blockade Monday, he also said he would impose a 20% fee on ships passing through the strait. But he dropped the plan to collect fees hours before resuming the blockade, citing requests from allies in the Gulf.

Kuwaiti Air Defense forces have successfully intercepted and neutralized a hostile barrage of Iranian aerial targets, including one ballistic missile, five cruise missiles, and 33 weaponized drones, the Ministry of Defense Spokesman Colonel Saud Al-Atwan said.

He also disclosed that a Kuwaiti Navy vessel was targeted during the hostilities, resulting in the wounding of four service members.

Just 10 verified crossings were recorded through the monitored Strait of Hormuz zone on 13 July, marking a further slowdown in maritime activity as renewed conflict continues to affect regional shipping.

Low risk commercial vessels accounted for the sharpest day on day reduction, while nine of the 10 crossings used the Iranian Route. The IMO has now confirmed 53 incidents and 14 seafarer fatalities, with another attack added to its incident tracker.

The United States launched strikes against Iran for the fourth day in a row Tuesday as Washington prepared to reimpose a naval blockade on Iranian ports, the US military said.

The strikes are aimed at "degrading Iranian capabilities used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz," US Central Command said on X, adding that they came as "American forces prepare to resume the naval blockade against Iranian ports and coastal areas."

Day 136: 2 UAE tankers hit, US to resume Iran blockade

Day 135: US military launches another round of Iran strikes

Day 134: Strait of Hormuz tensions flare after ship attack

Day 133: US swaps strikes with Iran while keeping nuclear talks alive

Day 132: Israel vows stronger military action against Iran

Day 131: Trump tempers fury to end NATO summit on high note

Day 130: Iran reports explosions on sites around Hormuz Strait

Day 129: Body of Khamenei arrives in Qom ahead of procession

Day 128: Massive turnout at Khamenei funeral