Early this morning, U.S. forces intercepted ballistic missiles and drones fired by Iran at Gulf neighbors, including Kuwait and Bahrain. Kuwait reported that drones struck and damaged its airport, causing injuries, flight diversions, and cancellations. Ynet reports that the United States carried out defensive strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island in response, as diplomatic efforts have once again stalled.
The renewed escalation came as Kuwait’s army said its air defenses were intercepting hostile missile and drone attacks. Bahrain said a warning siren had been sounded and urged residents to move to the nearest safe space.
Iran’s state news agency reported that explosions were heard near Qeshm Island, which sits close to the contested Strait of Hormuz. The United States also said it fired at a tanker headed toward Iran.
The latest flare-up comes more than three months after the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran. The conflict has since settled into a volatile stalemate, with a shaky ceasefire in place while the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed to maritime traffic.
Iran and the United States said last week that they had reached a tentative initial agreement to halt the war, but the two sides have yet to formally approve the deal.
The U.S. has also denied claims by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) that the Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain and another regional airbase were struck. In fact, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has stated that all Iranian strikes over the past 24 hours failed to hit their intended U.S. targets. CENTCOM also reported that no U.S. personnel were injured during these operations.
Sadly, an Iranian drone hit and damaged Kuwait’s airport. One civilian was killed as all flights were halted and planes grounded. Injuries ranging from moderate to severe were also reported.
U.S. President Donald Trump has pushed back against reports that talks with Iran have been completely suspended. Meanwhile, Iranian media report that Tehran has not communicated with Washington in recent days and that it remains unclear whether this latest escalation will derail ongoing diplomatic efforts.
The Fellowship and our supporters praise God for the safety of U.S. service members and that most of the missiles and drones were intercepted. Even as we pray that God’s shalom, peace, will prevail in Israel, and across the entire Middle East, we pray for the family of the victim of the Kuwait airport attack.
