Iran Expands Attacks Across Gulf as Conflict Escalates
The Iran U.S. conflict has intensified following another night of strikes across the region.
* Iran launched attacks on U.S. allies in the Gulf and Jordan after a seventh consecutive day of U.S. strikes on Iranian military targets. * Iranian state media reported missile strikes on power facilities and desalination pumps in Jask, leaving around 10,000 people in 20 villages without water. * Kuwait said an Iranian attack hit a power generation and water desalination plant, while its armed forces intercepted ballistic missiles and drones. * Kuwait Petroleum Corporation said one of its oil facilities was struck, causing significant damage and injuries. * Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed it struck U.S. military facilities in Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. Reuters noted it could not independently verify some of these claims. * Saudi Arabia reportedly experienced attacks for the first time in about three months, with warning sirens sounding near locations hosting U.S. forces. * The U.S. military said it completed its seventh consecutive day of strikes, targeting Iranian surveillance sites, logistics infrastructure, underground weapons storage, and maritime capabilities. * Oil prices climbed more than 4% to their highest level in over a month as concerns grew over disruptions to energy supplies and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. * U.N. Secretary General António Guterres expressed concern over the escalation, particularly attacks on civilian infrastructure across the region.
The conflict is increasingly affecting civilian infrastructure, energy markets, and regional security, raising concerns that continued escalation could disrupt global oil supplies and maritime trade through the Strait of Hormuz.