Iran Launches Missiles at Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait After US Strikes

Iran launched a barrage of missiles at Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait early Thursday after American forces carried out a second round of airstrikes in response to Tehran’s “unwarranted and continued aggression.”

“Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has confirmed that the United States is launching strikes on “key facilities” in Iran, framing the attacks as part of the ongoing negotiations for a permanent ceasefire”

Al Jazeera

The New York Post said US Central Command successfully defended against the attacks, preventing the Iranian strikes from hitting the US bases, and it reported that Jordan said it intercepted 20 Iranian missiles fired toward an area that is home to a base hosting US troops.

Al Jazeera

In parallel, the BBC reported that President Donald Trump said the US will hit Iran “hard” again today, after the two sides exchanged strikes overnight.

The BBC also said US Central Command began launching strikes at 17:15 Eastern Time (22:15 BST) against “multiple targets” in Iran, and it added that the strikes were “in response to Iran's unwarranted and continued aggression.”

The New York Post further described explosions heard around Tehran and Bandar Abbas and said Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard later said sites hit included a manufacturing complex, a military barracks and a local Guard base outside of Tehran.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told reporters in Tampa, Florida that CENTCOM would be “busy tonight” because President Trump said the US would be “hitting Iran hard, and we will be,” and he said the strikes “will be strong” and “will be clear.”

Hegseth’s remarks echoed Trump’s earlier warning that Iran would “have to pay the price” for taking too long with the negotiations, as Al Jazeera reported.

Anadolu Ajansı

In a separate thread of escalation, the BBC quoted Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqai accusing the US of “damaging this diplomatic process through the contradictory messages it sends, its repeated shifts in positions and demands, and, worst of all, through repeated violations of the ceasefire.”

The BBC also reported that Iran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian said on X that Iran “will stand firm against any pressure or threat,” while the US reiterated a call for Iran to “sign a deal.”

The New York Post added that Trump claimed Iranian officials had directly asked him to stop the bombing while he was monitoring the operation in the White House Situation Room and that he vowed to “bomb the s— out of them tomorrow night” if Tehran did not agree to a US peace proposal.

The dispute is now entangled with the Strait of Hormuz, where the EL PAÍS English said the Iranian General Staff announced the complete closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that Iranian troops will respond “decisively” to any attack by the adversary.

“Iranian military warns of ‘crushing’ response to any US aggression Khatam al-Anbiya say Iran's armed forces prepared to respond ‘firmly and decisively’ Tarek Chouiref 11 June 2026•Update: 11 June 2026 Iran’s military headquarters Khatam al-Anbiya warned early Thursday that the country’s armed forces were prepared to deliver a “crushing and decisive” response to any US aggression in the region”

Anadolu Ajansı

The EL PAÍS English also quoted the Iranian high command declaring: “Do they want to make the sacred Strait of Hormuz unsafe? We will turn the entire region into a living hell.”

The New York Post reported that Kuwait closed its airspace for several hours, but did not elaborate on any damage, and it said Bahrain’s Interior Ministry reported an 11-year-old girl was hurt and cars and homes were damaged by debris from interceptions responding to the Iranian attack.

In parallel, the BBC said the US is blockading Iranian ports after the key Strait of Hormuz shipping route was effectively closed by Iran in response to the US and Israeli attacks on Tehran in February, and it noted that the Settebello is the eighth ship the US has fired on.

Looking ahead, the New York Post said a Qatari diplomatic delegation left Tehran on Thursday morning after holding talks, while the BBC said Trump reiterated a call for Iran to “sign a deal” during his briefing on Wednesday.