Iran’s army announced Friday that it had launched attacks on U.S. military installations in Kuwait and Bahrain, marking the latest escalation in renewed hostilities between Tehran and Washington.
According to state media, Iranian forces targeted aircraft shelters, satellite communication systems, and equipment storage facilities at Kuwait’s Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base in a drone strike. The military also claimed to have attacked power generators, navigation systems, and support buildings at Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain on Thursday.
The Iranian strikes followed what Tehran called a “heavy wave” of U.S. attacks on Wednesday against dozens of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targets across Iran.
Egypt Drone Attack Raises Regional Concerns
The escalating conflict has begun affecting countries not directly involved in the U.S.-Iran confrontation. Egypt reported Thursday that a drone struck two ships at its Mediterranean port of Damietta, causing a fire. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which represents the first strike on Egyptian territory since hostilities between the U.S. and Iran began in late February.
Hamish Kinnear, Middle East and North Africa analyst at risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft, warned that the Damietta attack demonstrates Egypt’s exposure to the widening conflict and suggests the Suez Canal could become a target.
“The expanding geographical range of drone and missile attacks on shipping this year – which encompass the Caspian Sea, Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, Persian Gulf, and the Indian Ocean – amount to a new era of maritime risk,” Kinnear said Thursday in a research note.
Oil Markets React to Strait of Hormuz Reports
Oil prices climbed Friday morning after reports emerged that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard had stopped two tankers from transiting the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global energy shipments. The IRGC-linked Fars news agency also reported that four additional tankers changed course, though CNBC could not independently verify these claims.
International benchmark Brent crude futures with September delivery traded 0.6% higher at $89.53 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures with September delivery rose 0.5% to $84.04.
The strait serves as a vital corridor for oil exports from the Persian Gulf, and any disruption to traffic through the waterway typically triggers immediate market reactions.
Trump Proposes Iran Tariffs
At the White House on Wednesday, President Donald Trump suggested that Congress should add tariffs on Iran to a sanctions bill targeting Russia and Tehran that has garnered bipartisan support. However, such duties would have limited practical impact given that the U.S. imports virtually nothing from Iran. The addition could potentially complicate the bill’s path to passage.
Kinnear noted that the technological advances and targeting methods developed during conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East are creating maritime risks that extend far beyond traditional conflict zones, representing what he characterized as a fundamental shift in how maritime security threats manifest across multiple regions.
Source: www.cnbc.com — https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/31/us-iran-war-trump-hormuz.html
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