Iran targets Gulf neighbors as US intercepts missiles, drones over Strait of Hormuz

Iran pushed the confrontation beyond Lebanon and into the Gulf on June 5, sending ballistic missiles and drones toward Kuwait and Bahrain while U.S. and partner forces intercepted multiple weapons over the Strait of Hormuz. The exchange brought the fighting closer to the world’s most sensitive energy corridor and raised the risk that a limited U.S.-Iran clash could spill into attacks on oil infrastructure, shipping lanes and American military assets.

U.S. Central Command said its forces intercepted the Iranian salvo and carried out self-defense strikes on an Iranian ground-control station on Qeshm Island and on coastal surveillance radar sites in Iran. Reuters and the Associated Press reported that two missiles aimed at Kuwait fell short or broke apart en route, while missiles headed for Bahrain were intercepted by U.S. and Bahraini air defenses. Bahrain’s foreign ministry said Iran had fired ballistic missiles and drones toward Bahrain and Kuwait and urged Tehran to stop attacking its Gulf neighbors.

Kuwait said Iranian drones struck Kuwait International Airport, killing one person, wounding dozens and briefly closing the airport. The attack also damaged civilian and diplomatic facilities, underscoring how quickly the conflict could widen from military exchanges into direct hits on public infrastructure and foreign missions. Bahrain said air raid sirens sounded as the missiles approached, a reminder that Gulf capitals now sit inside the blast radius of the standoff.

The stakes extend far beyond the immediate battlefield. The Congressional Research Service says roughly 27 percent of the world’s maritime trade in crude oil and petroleum products and about 20 percent of global LNG trade pass through the Strait of Hormuz. A World Bank analysis found that earlier disruption in the strait triggered the largest oil market shock in history, with Brent crude rising about 65 percent by the end of March before easing after a temporary ceasefire.

That ceasefire is already under strain. Israel and Lebanon agreed to extend their truce on June 3, but the arrangement remained fragile, and the latest fire came amid stalled U.S.-Iran negotiations. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on June 5 that Lebanon should not be used as a bargaining chip in talks between Tehran and Washington, signaling how the crisis is pulling in new political actors even as military exchanges focus on the Gulf.

For Washington, the danger is no longer limited to intercepting missiles in flight. Any further strike on Kuwait, Bahrain or the shipping routes around the Strait of Hormuz could force a broader U.S. response, test regional air defenses and send energy markets higher almost immediately.