Iran warns Gulf states hosting US troops of 'corresponding response' as conflict widens

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has warned countries hosting US military bases that they could face retaliation if their territory is used for attacks against Iran.

According to the semi-official Tasnim news agency, the IRGC urged these countries to activate civil defence measures, protect civilians and move them away from potential military targets. It accused regional governments of allowing their territory to be used as launchpads for US operations.

IRGC claims strikes on US bases in Kuwait

The IRGC claimed it carried out drone and missile strikes on Camp Arifjan, a major US military logistics hub in Kuwait, saying the attack caused casualties among personnel stationed there.

It also claimed responsibility for an attack on the US Ali Al Salem Air Base, alleging that the operation knocked out radar systems and destroyed a weapons maintenance hangar and a drone facility. The claims have not been independently verified.

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US-Iran conflict intensifies

The warnings come as fighting between the United States and Iran continues to escalate, with both sides exchanging fresh strikes centred around the Strait of Hormuz.

The conflict has increasingly focused on the strategic waterway, disrupting shipping traffic and pushing global oil prices higher. Recent US operations targeted Iranian military infrastructure, while Iran has responded with missile and drone attacks across the Gulf region.

Regional countries report attacks

Kuwait said it intercepted Iranian missiles and drones on Saturday, while neighbouring Bahrain activated air raid sirens as tensions spread across the region.

Jordan also said it intercepted three incoming projectiles, while explosions were reported in Iraq's Kurdistan region near Irbil and Sulaymaniyah as air defence systems engaged aerial targets.

US targets Iranian infrastructure

The US Central Command said American forces carried out a seventh consecutive night of airstrikes aimed at weakening Iran's military capabilities.

According to the military, the strikes targeted surveillance sites, logistics infrastructure, underground weapons storage facilities and maritime assets.

Iranian state television reported that the attacks damaged transport infrastructure in Bandar Khamir in Hormozgan province, including highways and railway lines linking the strategic port of Bandar Abbas with central Iran.

Iran's Energy Ministry also acknowledged attacks on power infrastructure for the first time, urging residents in heatwave-hit southern provinces to reduce electricity consumption without identifying the facilities that were struck.

Maritime tensions rise

Separately, Iran's state-run IRNA news agency said a monitoring facility at Chabahar port on the Gulf of Oman was destroyed in an overnight strike.

While Iranian officials said the facility monitored commercial shipping, the US military said it formed part of an IRGC maritime surveillance network used to track and target vessels passing through the region.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) also reported that a commercial tanker travelling through the Strait of Hormuz came under fire on Friday, sustaining minor damage. No crew members were injured.

Shipping disruption pushes oil prices higher

Commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed sharply as the conflict intensifies.

MarineTraffic data showed vessel crossings dropped to a three-week low on Thursday, contributing to oil prices climbing above $86 a barrel on Friday.

Iran has continued to assert greater control over the strait, insisting vessels using the route should comply with its regulations despite the waterway's status as an international shipping lane.

Trump says US making progress

Responding to the military campaign, US President Donald Trump said the United States was making significant gains against Iran.

"We are likewise winning big in Iran, and you will see the fruits of that labour very, very shortly," Trump said.