Ololade Adeyanju/
Iran has escalated tensions in the Gulf by launching a drone strike on United States forces stationed on Kuwait’s Bubiyan Island, as a deadline set by President Donald Trump for reopening the Strait of Hormuz draws closer.
According to Iranian state media, the attack was confirmed by Ebrahim Zolfaqari, spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, who said Tehran targeted “satellite equipment and munitions” on the island using drones.
Zolfaqari claimed that US troops had recently relocated to Bubiyan Island from Camp Arifjan following repeated Iranian strikes on the earlier base, signalling a widening theatre of operations in the ongoing conflict.
Bubiyan Island, Kuwait’s largest offshore island located in the north-western Gulf, has become increasingly strategic as hostilities intensify across the region.
Kuwaiti authorities said at least six people were injured after debris from the attack fell in a residential area in the country’s north, underlining the growing risk to civilians as military exchanges spill across borders.
The latest strike forms part of a broader pattern of Iranian retaliation across Gulf states, with recent attacks also reported on energy infrastructure and military targets in Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
The escalation comes at a critical moment in the conflict, with Trump maintaining a hardline ultimatum demanding that Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping route through which roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil supply passes.
Trump has warned that failure to comply by the deadline could trigger intensified strikes on Iranian infrastructure, including energy facilities and transport networks.
Iran, however, has rejected the ultimatum and signalled readiness to expand its response, warning of “devastating and widespread” retaliation if further attacks are carried out.
The Strait of Hormuz has been at the centre of the crisis since March, when escalating hostilities led to severe disruptions in maritime traffic, rising insurance costs and global energy market instability.
Analysts say the targeting of US positions in Kuwait marks a significant broadening of the conflict footprint, raising fears of a wider regional confrontation involving multiple Gulf states.
Diplomatic efforts led by regional and international mediators have so far failed to secure a ceasefire, with both sides holding firm to their positions amid continued military exchanges.
As the deadline approaches, attention is shifting to whether Washington will follow through on its threats, and how Tehran might respond in what is rapidly becoming one of the most volatile confrontations in the region in recent years.
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