Iran on Friday claimed responsibility for launching attacks against U.S. military targets in Syria and Bahrain, signalling a broader regional escalation as the United States carried out its sixth consecutive night of military strikes on Iranian positions.
The latest developments have raised fresh concerns about the collapse of the fragile ceasefire reached between Washington and Tehran last month. The temporary agreement had been designed to halt hostilities and facilitate the reopening of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global energy supplies.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that it had completed another major round of operations against Iran overnight. According to the military, the strikes targeted dozens of sites, including air defence systems, logistical facilities, and maritime assets.
In a statement posted on social media, CENTCOM said that more than 50,000 U.S. military personnel remain deployed across the Middle East and are “vigilant, prepared, and ready” to respond to any threats.
Iranian state media reported that the overnight U.S. airstrikes killed eight people and injured 20 others. The reports alleged that American attacks damaged civilian infrastructure, including bridges, a railway station, and an airport. These claims have not been independently verified.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also announced that it had targeted a U.S. command centre in Syria’s al-Tanf region. Neither the U.S. military nor the Syrian government immediately commented on the claim.
The United States had previously announced in February that it had completed the withdrawal of its forces from the strategic al-Tanf military base, located near the borders of Syria, Iraq, and Jordan.
Syria has consistently sought to avoid involvement in the broader regional conflict. President Ahmed al-Sharaa stated during a Chatham House event in March that Syria would remain outside the conflict unless directly attacked.
Meanwhile, Kuwaiti authorities confirmed that one of the country’s electricity generation and seawater desalination facilities was struck during an Iranian attack, causing significant damage.
Kuwait’s Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy said firefighters had extinguished the resulting blaze and that technical teams were assessing the extent of the damage while working to restore operations.
Kuwait relies heavily on desalination plants for its drinking water, with nearly 90 percent of the country’s freshwater supply produced through seawater desalination.
In Bahrain, air raid sirens sounded overnight after the Bahrain Defence Force reported intercepting multiple Iranian aerial attacks. The alert followed Iran’s claim that it had targeted U.S. military aircraft stationed at the Sakhir Air Base.
Jordan and Qatar also announced that their air defence systems intercepted Iranian missiles, highlighting the widening regional impact of the escalating confrontation between Iran and the United States.
