A series of unclaimed airstrikes that hit Iran after the U.S. said it finished its attacks have raised questions regarding who else may be targeting the Islamic Republic. The strikes occurred Thursday, coinciding with preparations in Iran to bury the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. These explosions targeted areas across southern Iran, including Bushehr and Sistan and Baluchestan provinces, as well as the cities of Ahvaz and Chabahar.
U.S. Central Command Operations and Unclaimed Strikes
The U.S. military’s Central Command stated on Thursday around 6:30 a.m. local Iran time that it had concluded a round of strikes that hit some 90 targets. Following these U.S. operations, Iranian news outlets and state media reported the series of additional airstrikes and explosions. Central Command did not respond to a request for comment regarding these subsequent, unclaimed strikes.
In response to the Thursday strikes, Iran launched a wider volley of attacks across the Mideast, targeting Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, and Qatar. Missile alert sirens sounded in these four countries, forcing residents to seek shelter. One person was reportedly hurt in Kuwait as air defense systems engaged incoming fire across the region. Immediately following the Iranian attack, the leader of the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, traveled to Kuwait for a meeting with the nation’s ruling emir. Gulf Arab countries also held calls with Qatar’s foreign minister, who, alongside Pakistan, has been involved in mediating talks between Iran and the U.S. regarding an interim deal intended to halt the return of open warfare.
Joint Maritime Information Center Advisory for the Strait of Hormuz
Tensions remain centered on the Strait of Hormuz. Iran insists the waterway—through which about a fifth of all global oil and natural gas passes—must be under its sole control, with vessels required to pay fees to Tehran. This stance contradicts the long-standing international consensus that the strait is an international waterway. While the U.S. and Gulf Arab states insist the strait must remain open and free, the Joint Maritime Information Center, a multinational body overseen by the U.S. Navy, issued a new advisory Friday urging ships to travel a southern route through Oman’s territorial waters to avoid Iranian interference.
The Iranian theocracy has not directly blamed any specific party for the Thursday strikes, though Esmail Kousari, a member of the Iranian parliament’s national security committee and a former commander in the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, issued a warning to the United Arab Emirates. Iranian state media quoted Kousari as saying the UAE would “pay the price for its cooperation with the United States.” He further accused the Emirates of having a “behind-the-scenes” role in the recent U.S. attacks. Gulf Arab states, which have been targeted by Iran repeatedly since the war began on Feb. 28, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Friday.
Israel Katz and Benjamin Netanyahu Discuss Military Strategy
Israel, which took part in the Iran war, has not claimed any recent attacks on Iran and has not attacked the Islamic Republic since June. Israel’s government confirmed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Trump on Thursday night, with Trump updating Netanyahu “on American moves in the Gulf.” Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, renewed threats that his nation stood ready to confront Iran if needed. During a military ceremony, Katz stated the Israel military “is on alert and ready to renew the campaign, to reestablish aerial superiority, and to carry out a blue-white (Israeli) strike in Iran to remove threats, even for a third time. If we will have to return, we will return with even greater force.”
During the broader Iran war, there were previous series of unclaimed airstrikes. Officials later said that both Saudi Arabia and the UAE launched airstrikes on Iran after Tehran struck energy sites within their borders. Having a Gulf country again strike Iran likely could be an effort to deter Tehran from targeting the Gulf states again. Meanwhile, the U.S. continues to maintain a broad footprint of military bases across Gulf Arab states, including in Bahrain, which serves as the headquarters for the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet.
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