Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that it struck US military positions in Kuwait and Bahrain in retaliation for strikes by the US military on five coastal areas in southern Iran.
In a written statement, the Revolutionary Guards said they targeted 8 US military positions at Ali al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait and the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain. The statement warned that new attacks would be met with a "stronger and more determined" response.
According to Rania Kazemi, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Iran, the Revolutionary Guards also announced that harsher measures would be taken against vessels that deviate from the routes designated by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz and do not coordinate with Tehran.
Strong reaction from Gulf states
Iran's attacks targeting Kuwait and Bahrain drew widespread condemnation from Gulf capitals. Gulf states described such attacks as a clear violation of their sovereignty and security, underlining that they undermine efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region.
Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a statement that the region must be protected from the "consequences of unjust attacks" and called for continued dialogue and diplomacy. The statement highlighted the importance of preserving the gains achieved under the framework of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding for regional and international security.
Strait of Hormuz alternative route tension
Meanwhile, the Sultanate of Oman's announcement that it had established a temporary and free maritime corridor in the Strait of Hormuz in coordination with the International Maritime Organization led to new tensions with Iran. The Revolutionary Guards Navy said that "some parties" had declared a new route without notifying Tehran, emphasizing that safe passage through the strait is only possible along the route designated by Iran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a statement in Baghdad: "The Strait of Hormuz is under Iran's control, and once obstacles are removed, things will return to how they were."
Analysts: Iran trying to establish new equations
Dr. Khaled al-Jaber, Director General of the Middle East International Relations Council, said in an assessment to Al Jazeera that the number of Iranian missile and drone attacks on regional countries has exceeded 7,400. Al-Jaber described the recent attacks targeting Kuwait and Bahrain as "a clear violation of state sovereignty that must be condemned and a direct threat to the investment and development system."
Al-Jaber assessed Iran's attempts to disrupt maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz as an effort to sabotage the "alternative sea route" initiated by Oman. Accusing Iran of using the strait as a "tool of blackmail," al-Jaber warned that the region could face "all-out war and destructive miscalculations" if the concerns of regional countries are ignored in the negotiations in Geneva and Switzerland.
Dr. Saleh al-Mutairi, head of the al-Medar Center for Political Studies, said Iran is trying to establish a series of new equations. According to al-Mutairi, the first of these equations is that the Strait of Hormuz is a card in Iran's hands that it can use at any time; the second is that any attack on Iran will be met by striking Gulf countries or closing the strait. Al-Mutairi said this aims to prove Iran's dominance in the region.
Al-Mutairi recalled that Gulf countries have been trying to de-escalate tensions since the first day of the war, highlighting the major role of Qatar and Pakistan in the memorandum of understanding reached between Tehran and Washington. However, he said the fragility of the situation on the ground shows that the real guarantee of navigation security is "behavior on the ground," describing Iran's stance as "undisciplined."
Al-Mutairi also alleged that Tehran is trying to exploit the fifth article of the memorandum of understanding regarding safe passage to impose mandatory sea routes and disable international electronic tracking systems. In his view, Iran aims to turn the Strait of Hormuz into a hostage and a political blackmail card it can use in any nuclear crisis.
Al Jazeera's correspondent in Tehran reported that the Iranian military has stressed that it wants to use its control over the Strait of Hormuz not for financial gain, but as a strategic deterrent tool in negotiations with Washington.
Despite the memorandum of understanding signed between the US and Iran on June 17 and negotiations aimed at ending the war and ensuring navigation safety in the Strait of Hormuz, military frictions between the two countries have once again escalated in the strait.
