Iran-US war latest: Trump ‘planning for wider war’ with Tehran after ninth night of strikes

Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan reported intercepting Iranian drones and missiles as attacks across the region intensified.

Bahrain’s ministry of interior activated warning sirens and urged residents to “remain calm and head to the nearest safe place”, while the US embassy in Manama warned American citizens that Iran may be planning attacks on the capital and advised them to take precautionary measures.

Kuwait’s military said it was responding to a series of drone attacks, while Jordan reported intercepting at least three missiles, with another landing in an open area.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed it had targeted a weapons depot and air defence radar system in Kuwait, though Kuwaiti authorities have not confirmed those claims and instead said they were dealing with the aftermath of an attack on a power and water desalination facility.

The strike on civilian infrastructure has drawn condemnation from countries across the region.

Oil prices climbed above $90 a barrel as escalating US-Iran tensions disrupted concerns over crude supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy route.

Brent crude rose more than 2 per cent to $90.19 a barrel, reaching its highest level since 11 June, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) also gained to $84.20 a barrel.

The latest surge followed the US carrying out a ninth consecutive night of strikes on Iran, along with reports of fresh Iranian attacks on Gulf states.

Shipping data showed that traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained limited over the weekend as the US and Iran intensified their attacks, according to Sky News.

According to LSEG data, only four vessels crossed the strategic waterway on Sunday, down from eight the previous day.

Since Friday, at least three oil tankers and one Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) have entered the strait to load oil.

The LSEG data tracks the movement of various types of vessels, including container ships, bulk carriers, vehicle carriers, and tankers transporting oil, gas and chemicals.

During the ninth night of US strikes on Iran, Iranian state media reported explosions in several locations, including Tabriz, Chabahar, Konarak, Bandar Mahshahr and Bandar Imam Khomeini.

Iranian authorities have not yet provided details on any casualties or the extent of damage caused by the attacks.

A reported strike on Tabriz, located in north-western Iran, would represent a broader expansion of US targets, which in recent days have mainly focused on areas in southern Iran and locations near the Strait of Hormuz, the Guardian reported.

Iran will only seek to end its war with the US once it has secured “the upper hand in the field”, foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said.

He argued that negotiations should begin only after achieving “a reliable field and strategic achievement on the military front”.

In an interview with state news agency IRNA, Araghchi said wars end either through “absolute military victory or through negotiations”.

“The end of the war is possible either through absolute military victory or through negotiations. The right time to negotiate is precisely when you have achieved a reliable field and strategic achievement on the military front.

“You cannot take risks with the lives of the people and the fate of the entire country. Decisions must be made based on accurate and complete calculations,” Araghchi said.

He added that leaders must weigh whether continuing the conflict would bring greater gains or higher human and national costs, while claiming that “despite some losses, we emerged as a decisive international player in this war and demonstrated the strength of the system”.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said two oil tankers were disabled after attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz via a route that Tehran had warned ships against using, claiming “both vessels exploded and were forced to cease movement”.

The Guards did not identify the vessels, provide casualty details or explicitly claim responsibility.

Earlier, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that a vessel was on fire off the coast of Oman, though the cause of the incident remains unknown.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard warned that “this passage will not be safe for the transit of petrochemical products, nor even a single drop of oil and gas” if what it called US “aggression” continues, after claiming it had targeted US aircraft in Jordan and that two oil tankers had exploded in the Strait of Hormuz, though those claims could not be independently verified.

The warning came as the US military said it had completed its ninth consecutive night of strikes on Iran, targeting military command centres, missile and drone launch sites, coastal surveillance systems and maritime capabilities to “further diminish Iran’s ability to attack commercial vessels and civilian mariners transiting the Strait of Hormuz”, adding that “the US military is holding Iran accountable at the Commander in Chief’s direction”.

Meanwhile, air raid sirens sounded again in Bahrain, Kuwait said its air defences responded to hostile Iranian drones, and oil prices climbed above $90 a barrel amid fears of further disruption to shipping through the vital waterway.

A vessel caught fire off the coast of Oman, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations, though the cause and identity of the ship remain unknown.

In Bahrain, warning sirens sounded after the US embassy warned that Iran could target locations in central Manama, although no attack was confirmed.

Jordan said several missiles were launched, with most intercepted, while Iran claimed it struck US-linked military facilities in Kuwait.

Kuwaiti authorities, however, denied those claims and said the attacks instead hit civilian infrastructure, including a water desalination plant, prompting regional condemnation and renewed fears over the vulnerability of critical water and energy infrastructure across the Gulf.