Kuwait temporarily closed airspace and Bahrain reported interceptions after U.S. strikes in Iran, while Israel warned of launches from Lebanon.
Kuwait temporarily closed its airspace Thursday and Israel warned of launches from Lebanon toward northern communities, as the fallout from U.S. strikes inside Iran widened across the region.
Kuwait cited “Iranian aggressions” and said it intercepted hostile aerial targets before reopening its airspace several hours later. Bahrain also reported that its air defense systems had intercepted and destroyed Iranian aerial attacks, and its interior ministry urged civilians earlier in the day to move to a safe place.
The alerts followed U.S. strikes Wednesday on multiple targets in Iran. U.S. Central Command said the operation was completed at 9:04 p.m. ET and targeted Iranian military surveillance capabilities, communications systems and air defense sites that it said posed a threat to U.S. forces and commercial shipping in regional waters.
President Donald Trump had earlier escalated his public warnings to Tehran, saying at a White House event that the U.S. would hit Iran “hard again today” while pressing Iranian leaders to sign an agreement. Earlier this week, Trump said a deal to end the war was near, but he later warned on Truth Social that Iran had taken too long to negotiate and would have to pay a price.
Trump later told Fox News that he had spoken directly with Iranian officials, who he said asked him to stop the strikes. He said the bombing would stop shortly and that Israel was not involved, while still leaving open the possibility of further U.S. military action.
Israel’s Home Front Command warned of launches from Lebanon toward several communities in northern Israel, adding to concerns that the conflict could keep spreading beyond Iran and the Gulf. A separate CNBC report carried in a Google News summary said Iran had announced an “end of military operations” against Israel, while warning that strikes in Lebanon could trigger escalation.
Iranian state-run Tasnim news agency said Iran had struck and destroyed 18 important targets belonging to U.S. forces at Kuwait’s Ali Salem and Ahmad al-Jaber air bases and Bahrain’s Sheikh Issa air base. Kuwait and Bahrain reported interceptions; the supplied sources did not independently verify Iran’s account of damage to those bases.
The confrontation also raised pressure around the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state media reported that Iran had targeted U.S. ships in the strait with missiles and drones, and CNBC cited Reuters as reporting that Iran’s top military command had closed the waterway and warned that vessels attempting to cross would be targeted.
Markets reacted to the escalation, with U.S. crude and Brent prices rising after Trump’s comments and U.S. stock futures falling. The next test is whether the temporary airspace closures and launch warnings remain contained, or whether the latest U.S. strikes draw a broader regional response.
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