Kashmir Impulse Desk

New Delhi, July 9

The United States launched a second consecutive night of large-scale strikes on Iranian military targets on Wednesday, while Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks on US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, marking another sharp escalation in a conflict that has spread across the Gulf.

The US military said it struck about 90 military targets along Iran’s southern coastline, including air defence systems, coastal surveillance assets, missile and drone storage facilities, naval capabilities and logistics infrastructure.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the operation was intended to further degrade Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s busiest oil transit routes.

The latest strikes came a day after US President Donald Trump warned Iran it would be “hit hard” if attacks on commercial vessels in the strategic waterway continued.

CENTCOM said the latest operation followed Tuesday night’s strikes on nearly 80 Iranian military targets, including more than 60 fast attack boats operated by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), after Washington blamed Tehran for attacks on three commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

“US forces remain vigilant, lethal, and prepared to execute operations directed by the Commander in Chief,” CENTCOM said.

Trump defended the military action in a post on Truth Social, describing it as retaliation for Iran’s alleged attacks on commercial shipping.

“If it happens again, it will get much worse,” he wrote, while later saying Tehran wanted “to make a deal” although he questioned whether it was “worthy.”

Iranian state media reported explosions across several southern provinces and on Iranian-controlled islands in the Gulf, saying military facilities and infrastructure had been hit.

Iran’s Health Ministry said at least 14 people had been killed and 78 wounded during two nights of US strikes across five provinces.

Forty-seven of the injured remained in hospital, ministry spokesperson Hossein Kermanpour said.

Officials in Iranshahr county also reported one civilian death after a strike hit a building at the local airport.

IRAN RETALIATES

Hours after the latest US operation, the IRGC announced what it described as the first phase of a “punitive response”, launching missiles and drones at US military facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain.

In statements carried by state media, the Guards said they targeted the Arifjan and Ali Al Salem bases in Kuwait and the Juffair and Sheikh Isa bases in Bahrain, warning that any further US attacks would trigger broader retaliation against American military installations across the region.

Kuwait’s Defence Ministry said its air defence systems intercepted two ballistic missiles and 13 drones, while Bahrain said it had intercepted several incoming projectiles.

Neither country reported casualties or significant damage.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Washington “still hasn’t learned that bullying and breaking promises are no longer cost-free.”

Iran also stepped up diplomatic pressure, accusing European countries and NATO of supporting what it described as a US-Israeli military campaign against the Islamic Republic.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said countries providing military bases or logistical support could not avoid responsibility for the conflict.

Separately, Iran used a United Nations meeting in Geneva to condemn US strikes on facilities linked to its civilian space programme, saying they violated international law and the UN Charter.

FUNERAL HELD IN MASHHAD

The latest exchanges coincided with the final day of national mourning for former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated during the opening phase of the conflict.

His funeral was held in the northeastern holy city of Mashhad after a six-day procession through five Iranian cities and neighbouring Iraq.

Iranian state media showed large crowds attending the ceremonies as authorities sought to project national unity amid the conflict.

Iranian authorities said US strikes had damaged two bridges on the Tehran-Mashhad railway corridor, disrupting transport before repair work began.

The renewed fighting has heightened concerns over a wider regional conflict centred on the Strait of Hormuz, through which nearly one-fifth of global seaborne oil supplies pass.

Washington says its military operations are intended to protect freedom of navigation and deter attacks on commercial shipping.

Tehran says it is acting in self-defence and has warned that any further US military action will be met with a stronger response.