Middle East Tensions Rise! Iran Fires Missiles at US Ships, US Bases in Kuwait and Bahrain Attacked

June 3 – Middle East tensions escalated sharply Wednesday as Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched missiles at the U.S.-affiliated vessel PANAYA, in retaliation for a prior U.S. attack on an Iranian oil tanker near the Strait of Hormuz. Earlier, the U.S. military had disabled an oil tanker heading to an Iranian port in the Arabian Gulf. The U.S. military claims it successfully repelled multiple ballistic missiles and drones fired by Iran, and carried out a "defensive strike" on Qeshm Island in response to what it terms Iran’s cross-Middle East attempted attacks. In the early hours of June 3, U.S. military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain were repeatedly struck by missile and drone attacks, with local air defense alarms sounding nonstop. Reports indicate Bahrain’s U.S. Juffair Base, home to the U.S. Fifth Fleet headquarters, was hit, and the U.S. Patriot air defense system intercepted incoming projectiles. Arab media has reported that airports in Bahrain, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates have suspended operations due to the airstrikes. Additional sources note air defense alarms were also detected at U.S. military bases in Saudi Arabia.