Israel-Iran War: US attack Iran, High Alert in Kuwait and Bahrain

Israel-Iran War: Gulf states, home to multiple US military bases, were on high alert on Sunday, with their leaders calling for maximum restraint by all parties after US strikes on Iran raised the possibility of wider conflict in the region. Israel-Iran War: US attack Iran, High Alert in Kuwait and Bahrain.

President Donald Trump said American forces “destroyed” Iran’s key nuclear sites with massive bunker-busting bombs early Sunday, joining an Israeli attack in a significant new escalation. Gulf leaders, including the President of the United Arab Emirates, the Emir of Qatar and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia.

The UAE state news agency reported that all those who hosted Trump on a trip to the region last month discussed the serious implications of the escalation for international and regional security. Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, is on high security alert after the US attack, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Sunday, while Bahrain urged motorists to avoid main roads.

Kuwait, another major oil-exporting nation, said its defense council would remain in permanent session, its state news agency reported on Sunday, and has set up shelters in the ministries complex. Tehran has previously warned that if the US attacks it, it could target American assets in the region, including American military bases.

According to Iran’s Press TV, the country’s parliament has approved the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of global oil and gas demand flows, but the final decision rests with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.

Bahrain is home to the headquarters of the US Navy’s 5th Fleet, and there are US bases in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, as well as in neighboring Qatar and the UAE. Nuclear officials in Saudi Arabia and the UAE have said they have detected no signs of nuclear contamination following the attack on Iran.

While the war has so far been limited to direct hostilities between Israel and Iran, direct American involvement is a critical limitation that risks dragging the Gulf states into it.
“Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar, which mainly have large American military facilities, are involved in the conflict,” said Hassan Al Hassan, a senior fellow for Middle East policy at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

He said the risk of open conflict between the US and Iran could push the region into a destructive and protracted conflict. The US strikes have further compounded the plight of airlines, with Singapore Airlines canceling flights from Singapore to Dubai on Sunday, while British Airways has cancelled flights to and from Dubai and Doha.

Airlines are avoiding flying over large parts of the Middle East, including Iran, Iraq, Syria and Israel, due to ongoing missile attacks. “In light of recent developments in the regional security situation, we urge citizens and residents to use main roads only when necessary to maintain public safety and to allow the relevant authorities to use the roads efficiently,” Bahrain’s interior ministry said on X.

Bahrain told 70% of its government employees to work from home on Sunday until further notice, citing rising tensions, according to the Civil Service Bureau. Earlier this week, authorities in the country said they had activated a national plan to prepare for emergencies, set up an emergency center and tested warning sirens. Bahrain has set up 33 shelters, local media reported.

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