Iran Strikes Bahrain and Kuwait, Threatens to End Talks as US Targets 10 Sites
Iran launched drone and missile attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait on Sunday, retaliating against U.S. airstrikes that hit 10 Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz, while President Trump claimed Tehran asked for a Doha meeting—a claim Iran immediately denied [184528][184547].
The U.S. military said it struck Iranian surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defense sites, drone storage, and mine-laying capabilities near the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend [184547]. The strikes followed an Iranian drone attack on the oil tanker *M/T Kiku*, which was carrying over two million barrels of crude oil [184547]. Tehran warned it would stop all negotiations to end the war if Washington continued its attacks [184528].
President Donald Trump announced on Monday that Iran had requested a meeting in Doha, Qatar, scheduled for Tuesday [184547]. “Iran has asked for a meeting, and it will take place tomorrow in Doha,” Trump wrote on Truth Social [184547]. Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, immediately contradicted the claim, stating on Telegram that “there are no plans” for direct talks this week and that technical discussions through working groups would only happen once conditions were met [184547].
The conflicting statements come amid a sharp escalation in military activity. Trump warned on Truth Social that if Iran continues to violate the ceasefire, the U.S. may be forced to act militarily, writing, “If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will cease to exist!” [184547]. Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned the U.S. strikes as a “flagrant violation” of the U.N. Charter and the ceasefire memorandum [184547].
The renewed clashes have shattered a fragile ceasefire that had allowed energy prices to fall [184335]. Gold prices dropped to nearly $4,000 an ounce on Monday as the attacks revived inflation fears [184335]. U.S. stock futures and oil prices climbed early Monday, with crude oil futures rising more than 2% amid fears of supply disruptions [184241]. Brent crude increased by 0.9% to $72.20 a barrel, while U.S. crude climbed 1.3% to $70.09 a barrel, as Iran insisted on control of the strategic Strait of Hormuz—a narrow waterway through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil passes [184511].
Two commercial vessels were struck in the Strait of Hormuz this week, including the container ship *Ever Lovely* and the tanker *M/T Kiku*, causing a sharp drop in traffic through the waterway [184494]. Many ship operators are now rerouting vessels or pausing shipments, raising concerns about potential delays in global energy supplies [184494]. Pakistan is racing to secure an emergency shipment of liquefied natural gas (LNG) amid the tensions, with state-owned Pakistan LNG opening a new tender for a spot cargo [184499].
Despite the escalation, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will travel to Doha this week for high-level meetings [184547]. She said the U.S. is fulfilling its part of the ceasefire but warned, “Violence will be met with violence” [184547]. The situation remains fragile, with both sides accusing each other of breaking the ceasefire [184547].