Bahrain, Kuwait report Iranian attacks

MANAMA (AFP) -- Bahrain and Kuwait reported intercepting Iranian attacks on Monday, as the United States and Iran traded the latest strikes in more than a week of escalation.

A shaky US-Iran ceasefire has all but collapsed as Iran began attacking vessels using an Omani route in the Strait of Hormuz to force them to use its waters.

In response, the US has attacked Iran, which has responded with strikes on the Gulf and other Arab countries.

Bahrain, which hosts the US Fifth Fleet, said its air defences “intercepted and destroyed a number of Iranian aerial aggressions”, while Kuwait’s military reported a “heinous Iranian aggression”.

Earlier on Monday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they hit US military targets in Kuwait.

AFP correspondents in the Bahraini capital Manama heard explosions as sirens blared.

The US embassy in the island kingdom said it “has information to suggest that Iran may seek to target unspecified locations in central Manama”.

“We urge all Americans to remain vigilant, follow local authorities’ instructions, and review the latest guidance” from the embassy, it said on its website.

Both Kuwait and Bahrain, which host US military installations, have borne the brunt of attacks by Iran on its Gulf neighbours since hostilities resumed this month despite a ceasefire and memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran.

Bahrain has accused Iran of targeting civilians, while Kuwait has reported Iranian attacks on water and electricity plants as well as oil facilities.