Iran targets US bases as Israel warns sanctions could drive Tehran to ‘desperate steps’

Summary

The article reports a sharp escalation in fighting between Iran and the United States after six months of war. Iran’s military claimed it struck U.S. facilities at Ahmad al-Jaber air base in Kuwait and Al Minhad air base in the United Arab Emirates with missiles and drones. Kuwait said its air defenses intercepted the attacks and described them as Iranian aggression. Bahrain and Jordan also reported intercepting Iranian attacks. The escalation followed a U.S. strike on Iranian rocket launchers near the Strait of Hormuz, which Washington said were intended for mining the waterway. The article says shipping through the strait remains well below prewar levels and that oil prices increased after the Iranian strikes. It highlights Iran’s continued use of Kheibar Shekan medium-range ballistic missiles, describing them as relatively inexpensive, rapidly deployable, and potentially capable of challenging missile defenses. U.S. officials have claimed Iran is running short of missiles, while an Iranian Revolutionary Guard spokesperson said Iran’s stockpiles and production capacity remain intact; that claim could not be independently verified. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said sanctions were imposing serious economic pressure but warned that pressure could prompt Iran to take more extreme action. He threatened broad Israeli attacks on Iranian military and civilian infrastructure if Iran attacked Israel.