Iran fired at Kuwait on Thursday as part of its retaliation for United States bombardments earlier in the week, according to Kuwait's Defence Ministry. Sirens sounded in Kuwait, where air defences intercepted missiles and drones during a 'blatant Iranian aggression,' the Defence Ministry said. US allies Bahrain and Jordan said their air defence systems also intercepted several Iranian air attacks Wednesday, marking the latest escalation in the ongoing conflict. This represents a significant escalation from the month-long pause in direct attacks that had been in place since the last confirmed US military action on July 29. The fighting has increased this week after US forces hit Iranian rocket launchers on an island in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, saying Iran was planning to use them to shoot mines into the waterway.
US airstrikes earlier this week killed three Iranian military pilots, according to Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency. The three pilots were identified by Iranian media as Air Force pilot Hossein Mahdavian and Navy pilots Mojtaba Bagheri and Hamed Okati. As per Tasnim, the agency reported that 'Three Iranian army pilots were martyred in an operation carried out by the US army against Iran two nights ago.' The reported deaths come amid heightened military tensions between Washington and Tehran around southern Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, with US forces carrying out attacks on Iranian military infrastructure in and around the strategic waterway.
Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains well below pre-war levels, with the decline in sharp contrast to the unhindered navigation before the war. According to shipping data company Lloyd's List Intelligence, last week there were 102 transits and 126 the week before, compared with 130 or more per day before the war. Before the war, some 15 million barrels per day (mbpd) went through the strait. Over the past 28 days, 5 mbpd have exited the strait on average, according to TankerTrackers.com. The fresh military action pushed oil prices higher on Monday, with Brent crude futures rising more than 2% as concerns grew over possible disruption to oil supplies and shipping through the Gulf. According to Upstox News Desk, Brent crude climbed $2.21, or 2.51%, to $90.31 a barrel as of 0436 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate crude rose $1.83, or 2.19%, to $85.23 a barrel.
Israel indicated that it was prepared to return to the fighting if necessary, adding to worries that a hot war could widen. Defence Minister Israel Katz said that an Iranian attack on the Jewish state would free Israel from any existing restrictions in a response against the regime in Tehran. 'We would strike all national, military and civilian infrastructure — including energy infrastructure — and return Iran deep into the Stone Age,' Katz warned. This development comes as Tehran responded to the attack by launching waves of long-range drones and ballistic missiles that targeted American base infrastructure and stations throughout the Persian Gulf region, including locations in Kuwait, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates. In order to stop incoming projectiles, regional allies reported turning on integrated air defence systems, highlighting the escalating nature of the conflict.
