Kuwait's armed forces shot down Iranian drones over its territory Friday as Iran's Revolutionary Guard claimed it had struck two oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, marking a dangerous expansion of hostilities that threatens global energy supplies and risks dragging Gulf states deeper into a widening conflict between Washington and Tehran.
Kuwait's Defense Ministry said the Iranian attacks targeted several vital military facilities and caused material damage from falling shrapnel. No casualties were reported. The ministry didn't say how many drones were intercepted, but the incursion represents the first direct Iranian military action against Kuwaiti territory in this escalation. Iranian state media said Iran had targeted an air base in Kuwait with drones in retaliation for U.S. strikes on Thursday.
Civilian Shipping Under Fire
Iran's Revolutionary Guard claimed to have hit two oil tankers attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state media said four other tankers had turned around. The report didn't provide further details on the tankers' ownership or whether there were any casualties. The Strait of Hormuz is a key waterway for global oil and gas shipments and has been largely closed by the fighting.
The attacks on commercial vessels mark a return to tactics that have repeatedly drawn international condemnation and raised insurance costs for shipping companies operating in the Gulf. They also underscore the vulnerability of civilian infrastructure in a conflict where neither side has shown restraint in targeting economic assets.
Trump Vows Continued Military Action
President Donald Trump told reporters during a meeting with members of his Cabinet at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland, "We'll be hitting them very hard," and said, "You know, at some point they're going to say, 'We just can't take it anymore.'" He also said, "we just want to win" in Iran and signaled that he expected U.S. military action to continue for some time.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tehran had signed a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. on a truce but then "broke it, shot at commercial ships, and killed American soldiers." She said, "President Trump is not going to stand by and allow this terrorist behavior to occur," and added, "Iran will continue to pay until they come to the table in, what President Trump deems, a meaningful way."
The White House said Trump was weighing new strikes on Iran as the U.S. pressed Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and abide by terms set out in a truce agreement the two sides forged last month and then quickly saw collapse.
Regional Defense Coalition Takes Shape
Saudi Arabia announced a plan for a defense alliance of 14 countries to strengthen maritime security, safeguard freedom of navigation and secure international trade routes and energy supply corridors in the Red Sea region. Saudi Arabia's Defense Ministry said Thursday that the coalition is "defensive in nature" and that access "remains open to all willing countries."
Oman and the United Arab Emirates were the only two Gulf countries that didn't back Saudi Arabia's statement. Turkey, Egypt and Pakistan were among those that joined the proposed alliance. The absence of Oman and the UAE — both of which maintain diplomatic channels with Iran — suggests deep divisions within the Gulf Cooperation Council over how to respond to the crisis.
A Houthi official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to brief the media, said the Saudi initiative won't protect its vessels and that would happen only after the Saudis lift their blockade on Yemen. The comment highlights how the Iran-U.S. confrontation has become entangled with the long-running conflict in Yemen, where Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition against the Iranian-backed Houthis since 2015.
Why This Matters:
The expansion of Iranian drone strikes into Kuwait and attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz represents a dangerous escalation that puts civilian infrastructure and Gulf states not directly involved in the U.S.-Iran confrontation at risk. The collapse of last month's truce agreement and President Trump's vow to continue military action suggest the conflict has entered a new phase with no clear diplomatic off-ramp. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz — through which roughly a fifth of global oil supplies pass — threatens energy security worldwide and will likely drive fuel prices higher, affecting consumers far beyond the Middle East. Saudi Arabia's proposed defense coalition reveals deep fractures within the Gulf, with Oman and the UAE declining to join, suggesting regional powers are hedging their bets rather than presenting a unified front. The intertwining of this conflict with Yemen's war adds another layer of complexity that makes de-escalation harder. Without renewed diplomatic engagement, the risk of miscalculation or an incident that draws more countries into direct combat grows with each strike.