Bahrain sounds sirens as US-Iran strikes put Gulf shipping at risk

Jerusalem,UPDATED: Jul 24, 2026 10:50 IST

Bahrain activated its sirens early Friday and warned residents to seek shelter after detected fire, hours after the US military said it had completed its 13th straight night of strikes on Iran. Gulf states have come under repeated fire over the past week as the US and Iran traded escalating strikes in fighting that began with a struggle over control of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

The conflict also appeared to widen beyond the Strait of Hormuz. Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels said on Thursday that they had targeted two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, while also threatening another key shipping route. As tensions rose, Brent crude climbed more than 6 per cent to about USD 100 a barrel.

Blasts were reported on Thursday on Iran's Qeshm Island, where naval assets including drone boats are stored, as well as in areas near Andimeshk, Omidiyeh and Firuzabad in the northwest. Iranian state media said four people were killed and five were wounded in a US missile strike on the outskirts of Ahvaz on the Karun River.

US Central Command said the latest barrage was designed to "further degrade Iran's ability to threaten civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting regional waters" as US forces try to regain control of the Strait of Hormuz. It said the strikes ended shortly before 5 am local time on Friday.

In a diplomatic move, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi visited Tehran on Thursday and called for peace and dialogue. His office said he promised that Iraqi territory would not be used for attacks on Iran. Iraq has close ties with both the US and Iran, and al-Zaidi had met President Donald Trump earlier this month in Washington.

At the same time, the Houthis threatened to shut down the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, a major route linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. About 12 per cent of global trade, including a quarter of the world's container traffic, passes through the route between Europe and Asia via Egypt's Suez Canal.

The Houthi attacks have put at risk oil shipments from Saudi Arabia's Yanbu port on the Red Sea and created a "double whammy" on top of disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, according to maritime data and analysis firm Lloyd's List Intelligence. Saudi Arabia has diverted millions of barrels a day of oil exports to Yanbu through an overland pipeline as the war has blocked the Persian Gulf. Trump said the Houthis would face "major military punishment" if attacks on ships continued.

Iran has said it has the right to manage traffic and could charge fees in the Strait of Hormuz, which had been open to all traffic without tolls before the war. It has attacked ships using a route through the strait that is overseen by US forces and meant to remain outside Tehran's control.

Trump said on social media on Thursday that sanctioned Iranian funds held by the US would be used to cover the cost of repairing boats damaged in the conflict. "Please let this statement serve to represent, until further notice, that from this point forth, any and all damages done to Ships, Cargo, or anything related thereto, will be paid for by Iranian Money that the United States has in its possession, and controls," he said. He added that doing so would be "the fair and equitable thing to do." It remained unclear what legal mechanism he would use to access and spend the funds.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi criticised the proposal, writing on X that "once governments normalize confiscation, no one's assets are safe. Ensuing chaos will not be pretty or peaceful." With Bahrain sounding alarms, fresh strikes reported in Iran, Iraqi mediation under way and threats hanging over both the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb, the confrontation continued to deepen pressure on regional security and global trade routes.

With PTI Inputs

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