Gulf Conflict Escalates as Iran and US Launch Attacks

Gulf hostilities flared again on Wednesday as Iranian attacks on Kuwait damaged its air port and injured dozens while the U.S. military carried out strikes near the Strait of Hormuz, with diplomacy to halt the war showing little sign of progress.

The attacks are the latest to test a shaky ceasefire, sending oil prices up nearly 2%, as the strait remains largely closed more than three months after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran.

Flights at Kuwait International Air port were suspended after an Iranian drone and missile attack damaged air port facilities and diplomatic missions, killing one person and injuring more than 60 others, Kuwaiti authorities and state media said.

Kuwait Airways and Jazeera Airways later resumed flights after taking safety measures, the civil aviation authority said.

Earlier, Iranian media reported that Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards had attacked the headquarters of the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain and a U.S. airbase, as well as a vessel identified as Panaya.

U.S. Central Command denied its bases had been hit and said Iranian ballistic missiles failed to strike their targets in the region.

CENTCOM said it had carried out a new round of 'defensive strikes' in southern Iran, targeted missile launch sites and Iranian boats seeking to lay mines, and conducted strikes on Qeshm Island near the Strait of Hormuz after attempted Iranian attacks.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi later said in a post on X that his country's armed forces were conducting 'self-defense strikes' on sites the U.S. is permitted to use to attack civilian shipping and violate the ceasefire.

The escalation of hostilities in the Gulf region underscores the need for sustained diplomatic efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

As tensions continue to rise, the international community must remain vigilant and work towards a negotiated settlement that addresses the concerns of all parties involved.