Iran has sharply escalated its confrontation with the United States after claiming it launched missile and drone attacks against eight American military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain, hours after President Donald Trump warned he would wipe the Islamic Republic 'off the map' if fighting resumed.
Iran has attacked US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain following US strikes on its coastal sites and threats from US President Trump to ‘complete the job’, raising fears of further escalation and collapse of peace negotiations.
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) June 28, 2026
Al Jazeera's Manuel Rapalo reports from Washington DC. pic.twitter.com/EDUjgDvMo0
The exchange marks another dangerous turn in the crisis centred on the Strait of Hormuz, where military action, competing territorial claims and fragile diplomatic efforts are increasingly colliding. As both sides harden their rhetoric, concerns are growing that the latest retaliation could further undermine already fragile ceasefire negotiations.
Retaliation Follows Trump's Warning
The latest escalation followed fresh U.S. strikes on Iranian military infrastructure. Trump announced that American aircraft had targeted Iranian missile and drone storage facilities, along with coastal radar sites, saying the operation was a response to alleged Iranian violations of the ceasefire. He warned that if Tehran continued its actions, the United States could be forced to 'militarily complete the job' it had begun, adding that the Islamic Republic could ultimately be wiped 'off the map.'
Within hours, Iranian officials announced what they described as a retaliatory operation targeting American military positions across the Gulf. According to Iranian authorities, ballistic missiles and drones were launched at eight U.S. military targets in Kuwait and Bahrain. The claims have not been independently verified, and U.S. officials had not immediately confirmed Iran's account.
'They Will Experience Hell'
Iran coupled the reported strikes with increasingly forceful public warnings aimed at Washington. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the United States would 'experience hell' if military operations against Iran continued. Separately, messaging attributed to the Iranian navy declared that 'America's indiscriminate strikes on Sirik do not solve the mystery of our dominance over the Strait' before warning that American bases throughout the region could face further consequences.
'As for the American bases in the region, that is a separate matter. They will experience hell in the coming days,' the statement said. Iran also warned that continued U.S. military operations could bring negotiations to a 'complete halt', linking any future diplomatic progress directly to developments on the battlefield.
Hormuz Takes Centre Stage
The confrontation continues to revolve around the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most strategically important maritime corridors. Iranian officials maintain that the waterway falls under the sovereign authority of Iran and Oman and have repeatedly opposed what they describe as outside efforts to manage shipping through the strait.
Those tensions deepened after a U.S. Navy-led multinational maritime coalition announced plans to expand a shipping route near Oman to facilitate commercial traffic entering and leaving the Gulf. Tehran criticised the move as outside interference, arguing that navigation arrangements should remain under existing regional mechanisms. Recent attacks on commercial vessels operating near internationally recognised shipping routes have further heightened concerns over the security of maritime traffic through the narrow passage.
Tehran Rejects New Arrangements
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reinforced Iran's position during a visit to Baghdad, warning against any attempt to establish alternative security arrangements for the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says the responsibility to bring back maritime traffic to pre-war levels in the Strait of Hormuz solely lies with Tehran.#Iran pic.twitter.com/y4d85GjXib
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) June 28, 2026
'Any interference in this matter, any attempt to establish new or separate arrangements from those currently being carried out by the Islamic Republic of Iran, will only lead to further complications, delay the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and increase the level of tension, just as over the past two nights we witnessed incidents in the Strait of Hormuz that led to an increase in tension and confrontation,' Araghchi said.
His remarks underscored Tehran's insistence that any future reopening of the strait should proceed according to Iran's existing framework, despite growing international efforts to safeguard commercial shipping through the Gulf.
Ceasefire in Jeopardy
The latest exchange demonstrates how quickly military retaliation is spilling into wider diplomatic and economic disputes. Beyond missile strikes and increasingly hostile rhetoric, competing claims over maritime security and control of one of the world's busiest energy corridors are making negotiations significantly more difficult.
With Washington signalling its willingness to conduct further military operations and Tehran threatening additional retaliation, the immediate crisis now extends well beyond isolated strikes. Military action, maritime security and ceasefire diplomacy have become increasingly intertwined, leaving the region facing a confrontation that neither side appears willing to de-escalate without securing significant strategic concessions first.
