Persian Gulf

Iranian drone attack kills one, wounds several, damages int'l airport in Kuwait, flights diverted

According to the Health Ministry,  following the event, there were a total of 63 cases of injury, and seven major emergency surgeries performed.

|ByJAMES GENN, GOLDIE KATZ
Passengers arrive at Kuwait International Airport, June 1, 2026; illustrative.
US Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent testifies during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government hearing on "proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2027 for the Department of the Treasury" on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on April 22, 2026.

US imposes fresh sanctions on Iran's military oil sales, Treasury says

In a post on X/Twitter, Bessent asserted that “the Iranian economy and currency are in free fall,” as the US continues enforcing its blockade on Iranian ports along the Strait of Hormuz.

|ByGOLDIE KATZ, REUTERS
Iraqi forces and Kurdish Peshmerga fighters gather during an intensive security deployment after Islamic State militants took it over the previous day in Luhaiban village in Kirkuk, Iraq December 6, 2021.

Iraq’s 1,200-km. trade route could redraw the Middle East - analysis

Iraq has some reticence, in part because Iranian-backed militias in Iraq oppose the new government in Damascus. However, trade may prove more important than sectarian ideology.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
An illustrative map indicating the location of Qeshm Island between the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz.

Explosions heard in Iran's Qeshm Island in Strait of Hormuz, cause unknown, news agency says

Explosions were heard on Qeshm Island, where air defenses had been triggered, and pro-regime protesters chanted against Israel and the UAE, following US warnings of possible strikes.

|ByJAMES GENN, REUTERS

Jordan denies existence of 'land bridge' to Israel to bypass Houthis

The land route is cheaper and faster than sea transport at the moment.

DECEMBER 17, 2023ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Foreign workers work as trucks queue inside Dubai's port in the United Arab Emirates February 14, 2006.

Iran seizes two fuel tankers carrying 4.5 million liters of fuel in Persian Gulf

The report did not state what countries the vessels or the crew were from.

DECEMBER 6, 2023ByTZVI JOFFRE
IRGC Naval forces.

Iran adding cruise missiles to frigate in bid to strengthen navy

Iran doesn’t have very many large surface ships capable of performing blue-water naval operations far from base.

OCTOBER 1, 2023BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Two Iranian warships Khark (back) and Sabalan (front) are docked in Port Sudan Sepember 20, 2013

Extra US forces to remain in Persian Gulf as long as needed - Pentagon

The US continues to see Iranian harassment of commercial vessels in the Persian Gulf.

AUGUST 31, 2023ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
The amphibious assault ship USS Bataan's (LHD-5) Weapons Department Sailors assemble a missile, while under the command and control of Task Force 51/5 on a scheduled deployment to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations to help ensure maritime security and stability in the Middle East region.

Iran trying to assert dominance by threatening US warships in Gulf - analysis

Iran released a video that looked like the US heeded its threats, but was it real?

AUGUST 22, 2023BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
The USS Bataan.

Biden's stance against Iran naval aggression heralds new era in the Gulf - opinion

President Joe Biden’s decision to dispatch additional Marines and warships to the Persian Gulf is a strategic move to counter the Iranian regime’s destabilizing activities.

AUGUST 16, 2023ByFARHAD REZAEI
IRGC COMMANDER-in-Chief Major General Hossein Salami speaks during an exercise at Abu Musa Island, near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, earlier this month.

Iran boosts navy with missiles, drones as US offers guards for Gulf ships

Earlier this week, Washington said it could soon offer to put armed sailors and Marines on commercial ships in the region following Iran's seizure and harassment of vessels.

AUGUST 5, 2023ByREUTERS
The Liberian-flagged oil tanker Ice Energy transfers crude oil from the Iranian-flagged oil tanker Lana (former Pegas), off the shore of Karystos, on the Island of Evia, Greece, May 26, 2022.

Iran's navy unveils new vessels equipped with 600 km range missiles

"The islands of the Persian Gulf are part of Iran's honor and we will defend them," Revolutionary Guards' Navy Commander Alireza Tangsiri said.

AUGUST 2, 2023ByREUTERS
Iranian missiles called Abu Mahdi are displayed during the ceremony of joining the IRGC Navy and the Army, in Tehran, Iran, in this picture obtained on July 25, 2023.

Iran, Russia spar over ‘non-negotiable’ Gulf islands

Russia issued a joint statement with the Gulf Cooperation Council in support of the UAE's initiative to reach a peaceful agreement on the three Gulf islands.

JULY 21, 2023ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF, REUTERS
Russian President Vladimir Putin sits next to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi during a meeting with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (not pictured) in Tehran, Iran July 19, 2022.

F-35s, F-16s, more ships: The US keeps bolstering Middle East military - analysis

There is no shortage of US Air Force assets and other weapons within the CENTCOM area. However, the decision to keep releasing details on these deployments is clear messaging to Iran and Russia.

JULY 18, 2023BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
A F-35B Lightning II aircraft from the Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211 launches from the deck aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Essex as part of the F-35B's first combat strike, against a Taliban target in Afghanistan, September 27, 2018.