DOHA, Qatar — Iran launched missiles and drones across the Gulf on Wednesday, claiming strikes on U.S. forces in Kuwait, as several Gulf states reported intercepts and casualties and maritime authorities said two commercial ships were hit near the Strait of Hormuz. The escalation comes hours before a United Nations Security Council vote on a Gulf Cooperation Council-backed resolution demanding Tehran halt attacks on its Arab neighbors.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it fired four missiles at the headquarters of U.S. forces in the Middle East, including two aimed at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait, calling the salvo its 37th wave of attacks in 12 days of war involving the United States, Israel and Iran. Authorities in Kuwait did not confirm a strike on the base. The country’s National Guard said eight drones targeting Kuwait were downed.
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Across the region, governments reported air defense activity as explosions rattled cities and oil installations. Qatar’s Ministry of Defence said it intercepted a new missile attack aimed at the country, with blasts heard in Doha on Wednesday morning. Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry said it destroyed five drones headed toward the kingdom’s Shaybah oilfield in the Empty Quarter and intercepted two more in the Eastern Province.
In Bahrain, authorities said Iranian attacks wounded dozens, including children, in the Sitra area near Manama. A fire broke out at a Ma’ameer facility after a drone strike. Earlier, one woman was killed and eight people were injured when a drone hit a residential building in the capital.
The United Arab Emirates said it responded to incoming missiles and drone threats. Dubai’s media office reported that two drones fell near Dubai International Airport, wounding four people.
Wednesday’s attacks compounded concern that the conflict could spill deeper into the Gulf’s energy infrastructure and sea lanes. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which monitors commercial shipping in the region, said a container vessel was struck by an unknown projectile and set ablaze in the Strait of Hormuz, about 25 nautical miles (46 kilometers) northwest of Ras Al-Khaimah in the UAE. Later, it reported a second incident in which a bulk carrier was hit by an unknown projectile 50 nautical miles (93 kilometers) northwest of Dubai. Crews from both ships were reported safe, and authorities were investigating.
Here is a snapshot of Wednesday’s developments across the Gulf:
- Kuwait: IRGC claims missiles targeted Camp Arifjan; authorities have not confirmed. National Guard reports eight drones downed.
- Qatar: Defense officials say a missile attack on Doha was intercepted; explosions were heard in the capital.
- Saudi Arabia: Five drones destroyed en route to Shaybah oilfield; two more downed in the Eastern Province.
- Bahrain: Dozens wounded, including children, in Sitra; fire at Ma’ameer facility. Earlier drone strike on a Manama residential building killed one woman and injured eight.
- United Arab Emirates: Air defenses engaged; two drones fell near Dubai International Airport, injuring four.
- Maritime: Two commercial vessels struck by unknown projectiles near the Strait of Hormuz; crews safe, investigations ongoing.
The prospect of prolonged disruption through the Strait of Hormuz — a choke point for roughly a fifth of the world’s oil — has rattled financial markets. Brent crude has risen about 20 percent since the conflict began, pushing up fuel prices worldwide. “If oil tankers continue to be unable to transit the strait, that will have a serious impact on the global economy,” Amin Nasser, president and CEO of Saudi Aramco, warned Tuesday.
The U.S. military said Tuesday it destroyed 16 Iranian minelayers near the Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump said there were still no confirmed reports that Iran had begun mining the passage, a risk that analysts highlighted in the run-up to the conflict.
The U.N. Security Council was expected to vote later Wednesday on a GCC-sponsored resolution urging Iran to stop attacking its neighbors. The scope of Wednesday’s barrages — touching Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE, while igniting fires aboard commercial ships — underscored the stakes for regional security and the global economy as the war enters its second week.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
