The fragile two-month ceasefire in the ongoing 2026 Iran War collapsed early Thursday as Iranian military forces launched a wave of drone and ballistic missile strikes against United States bases in the Gulf. The assault targeted 21 specific sites across Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan. The strikes followed direct orders from U.S. President Donald Trump late Wednesday to hit multiple targets inside Iran.
The American military action was initiated after an Army AH-64 Apache helicopter was shot down near the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. military officials confirmed both crew members were safely recovered using an unmanned Saronic Technologies “Corsair” sea drone, marking the first known drone boat rescue in American military history. Prior to the U.S. strikes, Trump stated that Iran had taken too long to negotiate a nuclear deal and warned they would “pay the price.”
In direct retaliation, Iran’s Foreign Ministry confirmed they “severely hit U.S. bases” and warned neighboring Gulf nations they bear a “legal and moral responsibility” to prevent American and Israeli attacks from originating on their soil. The overnight bombardment struck installations including the Ali Al Salem air base in Kuwait, the Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain, and the al-Azraq base in Jordan, according to The Washington Post. During the barrage, Jordan’s armed forces actively intercepted and shot down five Iranian missiles before they reached their designated targets. Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the Iranian operation as a “dangerous overreach that endangers the lives of civilians.”
Following the exchange of fire, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officially declared the Strait of Hormuz closed to all traffic until further notice. The IRGC stated the closure explicitly targets oil tankers and commercial vessels. The renewed hostilities and blockades threaten to exacerbate the global fuel crisis that began when the broader conflict initially erupted in late February following stalled nuclear negotiations and domestic crackdowns by the Iranian government.