IRAN: Fresh attacks struck Iran and Kuwait on Sunday, escalating tensions between Tehran and Washington as both sides issued conflicting claims over control of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping route.
The latest escalation came after Iran and the United States exchanged military strikes for the third time this week, raising fears of a broader regional conflict and jeopardising diplomatic efforts aimed at ending months of hostilities in the Middle East.
Iranian state media reported that at least 10 enemy projectiles struck Qeshm Island, located in the Strait of Hormuz, while separate attacks targeted Farur Island in the Gulf. Officials said one telecommunications worker was killed and two others were injured in the strikes.
Meanwhile, Kuwait confirmed that three northern border posts were damaged in an attack, while an offshore oil drilling platform was also targeted by what authorities described as a hostile drone. One person was reported injured.
The Strait of Hormuz remains at the centre of the dispute. Before the conflict erupted with US-Israeli strikes against Iran on February 28, commercial shipping moved freely through the waterway. However, Iran has since declared that it will control access to the strait, while Washington insists international navigation must remain unrestricted.
The confrontation intensified after Iran attacked a commercial vessel transiting the strait earlier Sunday, forcing its crew to abandon ship after it caught fire. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until American military interventions in the region ended. In contrast, the US Central Command said the waterway remained open and that American forces were ensuring freedom of navigation for all lawful commercial traffic.
The US military said it responded by striking around 140 Iranian targets, while Iranian media reported explosions in Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Jask, Qeshm Island and Khuzestan province. One Iranian soldier was reported killed during the attacks.
US President Donald Trump said American forces had struck Iran “very hard,” accusing Tehran of derailing negotiations by targeting a commercial ship. Iran later launched retaliatory attacks, triggering air raid sirens in Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, while Jordan reported three Iranian missiles landed inside its territory.
The renewed violence has intensified concerns over global energy supplies and regional stability, as international leaders, including Pakistan and the United Nations, continue urging both sides to pursue dialogue and prevent further escalation.
