Iran Strikes US Bases in Gulf as It Threatens to Close Strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait

Clashes between Iran and the United States intensified on Tuesday with US airstrikes targeting multiple locations within Iran. In response, Iran's Revolutionary Guards launched missile attacks on US military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain. For the first time, Iran threatened to deploy its so-called 'doomsday weapons' and signaled plans to use its Yemeni Houthi allies to close the Bab al-Mandab Strait in the Red Sea, a critical global energy shipping route.

This escalation follows Iran's recent disruption of maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. A senior Yemeni official warned that Yemen's military is prepared to block Bab al-Mandab if Saudi Arabia continues its attacks in Yemen. Middle East expert Fawaz Gerges told Reuters that the threat now extends beyond Hormuz to Bab al-Mandab, raising the risk of a new front against the US. Iran echoed this warning, stating that closing both straits could drive oil prices from around $70 to $200 per barrel.

Meanwhile, Iranian authorities reported that the island of Qeshm in the Strait of Hormuz was hit by at least five explosions caused by US missiles, including one near a water and electricity facility. Kuwait sounded air raid sirens as its air defense forces intercepted hostile missiles and drones launched from Iran. Later in the evening, Bahrain experienced loud explosions after Iran attacked a US base on its soil.

This ongoing exchange of attacks marks a significant escalation in the Iran-US conflict, threatening vital international energy corridors and regional stability. The situation remains volatile as both sides continue military actions and issue strategic warnings.