By Desmond Nleya
DUBAI-Air raid sirens echoed across Bahrain and Kuwait on Tuesday after Iran announced it had launched retaliatory attacks on what it described as 85 US military installations in response to recent American strikes on its Hormozgan province and the port city of Mahshahr.
The United States said it carried out what it called “powerful strikes” against Iranian targets following attacks on three vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, including Saudi and Qatari oil tankers. The latest military exchanges mark a significant escalation in tensions across the Gulf region, raising fears of a wider conflict.
In a further move, Washington revoked a waiver that had allowed Iran to continue limited oil exports under an interim peace agreement signed between the two countries on June 17, dealing another blow to Tehran’s economy.
Meanwhile, the coffin of Iran’s slain Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, arrived in the Iraqi holy city of Najaf, where funeral processions are expected to draw thousands of mourners.
The rapidly unfolding developments have heightened concerns over regional stability, with neighbouring Gulf states remaining on high alert as the confrontation between Washington and Tehran intensifies.
