Tehran threatens vessels in Bahrain, Kuwait after US strikes Iranian tankers near Kharg Island

US Strikes Iranian Tankers; Tehran Warns Bahrain, Kuwait

Earthguardiansonline.com – After American warships struck multiple Iranian oil tankers near Kharg Island on Tuesday, Tehran threatens vessels in Bahrain and Kuwait, ordering crews to abandon their ships. Two senior US officials confirmed the operation, describing it as a direct answer to earlier Iranian missile attempts aimed at a US Navy vessel transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

Kharg Island and the Export Chokepoint

Kharg Island serves as Iran’s primary crude-loading terminal. Nearly all of the country’s petroleum exports pass through its berths before routing south through the Strait of Hormuz. One of the tankers hit on Tuesday was operating roughly four miles from the island’s coast — well inside the reach of shore-based missile and drone batteries. A second vessel was struck farther south, off Jask on Iran’s Gulf of Oman shoreline. State broadcaster IRIB reported that crews from both damaged ships were being moved ashore in lifeboats.

A Multi-Vector Naval Pressure Campaign

US planners framed the strikes as part of a broader effort they called a “full court press” — sustained, multi-directional pressure designed to compress Iran’s economic space without a single point of failure. The campaign now runs three simultaneous tracks: interdicting Iranian targets around the strait, escorting commercial tankers through the chokepoint, and maintaining a blockade against Iranian port facilities. By controlling transit tempo, Washington can throttle Iranian crude flows while still protecting the roughly 20 million barrels per day of non-Iranian oil that depend on the waterway.

The pattern of escalation is clear. Over the preceding weekend, US forces had already hit an Iranian tanker about six miles from Kharg Island. Moving from a single-asset strike to a multi-vessel operation within days suggests American planners are probing the durability of Iranian coastal air defenses while testing whether Tehran will escalate or absorb the losses.

Extending the Threat to Gulf Littoral Waters

Tehran threatens vessels in Bahrain and Kuwait by widening the geographic footprint of the conflict beyond the Strait of Hormuz. State broadcaster IRIB carried an IRGC statement placing oil tankers near the ports of Kuwait and Bahrain on explicit notice.

“We warn all crews aboard oil tankers in the vicinity of ports in Kuwait and Bahrain — which host these (American) terrorists and are partners in their hostile actions — to immediately leave their vessels, whether they are at anchor or docked at the ports, as the vessels will be targeted.”

The warning implicates the home waters of two US treaty partners. Bahrain hosts the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet at Naval Support Activity Juffair; Kuwait’s Shuwaikh and Mina Al-Bakr terminals handle significant regional petroleum trade. By framing American naval presence as a shared liability, Tehran effectively tells Gulf states their own port infrastructure may become a target if they continue to host US forces.

Shipping and Energy-Market Implications

Commercial operators transiting the Strait of Hormuz have already adjusted routing and insurance premiums in response to the sustained naval standoff. The explicit Iranian threat against tankers in Bahrain and Kuwait waters raises the cost of Gulf transit further, and analysts expect freight rates for crude and refined-product cargoes to climb until a de-escalation signal emerges.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where were the Iranian tankers struck? One tanker was hit approximately four miles from Kharg Island in the northern Persian Gulf; a second was struck off Jask on Iran’s Gulf of Oman coast.

What did the IRGC warning say? The IRGC ordered all crews on oil tankers near Kuwait and Bahrain ports to abandon their vessels immediately, stating the ships would be targeted.

Why does the Kharg Island location matter? The island handles most of Iran’s crude exports. Striking tankers within a few miles of its berths signals that the zone around Iran’s most critical export infrastructure is now contested.

How much oil transits the Strait of Hormuz daily? Roughly 20 million barrels per day of non-Iranian oil still depend on the waterway, making US escort operations critical to global supply continuity.