Trump Threatens to Resume War as Iranian Missiles Hit US Bases in Bahrain, Kuwait
US President Donald Trump has warned he could resume war with Iran as both countries exchange missile strikes for a third day.
Shortly after Trump’s threat, sirens sounded across Bahrain and Kuwait as the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said it was targeting US-linked assets in the two Gulf States.
War Resumption Threat
Trump accused Iran of violating the recently signed ceasefire agreement, threatening that the US could resume its military campaign against Iran if Tehran continues to launch strikes against commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz and US bases in the region.
“United States aircraft just struck Iranian missile and drone storage locations, and coastal radar sites, for violating the Cease Fire Agreement, AGAIN!” he posted on Truth Social.
“It is very possible that they will never learn! There may come a point when we are no longer able to be reasonable, and will be forced to militarily complete the job that we very successfully started. If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist!” Trump warned.
US Strikes on Iran
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said that its forces launched new strikes against multiple targets in Iran on Saturday, in response to an Iranian drone attack on a Panama-flagged tanker earlier that day. “Iran was given a chance to honor the ceasefire agreement but elected not to,” CENTCOM said in a statement.
“CENTCOM forces launched strikes today in direct response to continued Iranian aggression against commercial shipping. US military aircraft targeted Iranian military surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defense sites, drone storage facilities, and minelayer capabilities,” the statement noted.
The attack on the Panama-flagged tanker came on the heels of an earlier one on a cargo ship on Thursday, which prompted the US military to respond and sparked the latest escalation.
“Commercial vessel transits through the Strait of Hormuz continue. US forces remain vigilant, lethal, and ready,” CENTCOM statement said.
Iranian Retaliation
Shortly after Trump’s threat, Iran’s IRGC said its Navy and Aerospace Force jointly targeted US bases in Bahrain and Kuwait with missiles and drones, according to Press TV.
“We have launched ballistic missiles and drones at eight key targets of the US army, which is killing children, at the Ali Salem base in Kuwait and the Fifth Fleet in Salman port in Bahrain, destroying them and decisively responding to recent US aggressions,” the IRGC said in a statement.
It claimed that maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz falls under Iran’s responsibility in line with the recently signed Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the US. “Therefore, vessels found to be in violation will be dealt with more firmly than before,” the statement warned.
It accused the US of violating the ceasefire, warning that any future aggression will be met with a “crushing response” and will “result in the complete suspension of all diplomatic processes.”
Attacks on Gulf States
Early Sunday, Kuwait’s military said its air defenses were intercepting hostile missile and drone attacks. The country’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement denouncing the repeated Iranian aggression.
“The ministry stressed that the continuation of these blatant attacks, at a time when regional and international efforts toward de-escalation are underway, undermines efforts aimed at reducing tension in the region and constitutes a direct challenge to the international will supporting that course,” it said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry condemned renewed Iranian attacks against its territory, calling it a “dangerous escalation” that reveals a “deliberate approach and a systematic pattern of repeated aggression against the sovereignty of the kingdom, and the security of its citizens and residents.”
In a statement, it noted that the repeated attacks threaten the collective security of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), based on the GCC Joint Defense Agreement, which dictates that any aggression against any member state is considered an aggression against all.
Bahrain also reported Iranian drone attacks on Saturday, stressing that it reserves its full, legitimate right to defend its sovereignty, security, and stability in accordance with international law.
