# [FLASH] Iran, IRGC Claim New Drone Strikes on U.S. Kuwait Bases as Bahrain Hit Again

*Monday, July 13, 2026 at 4:15 AM UTC — Hamer Intelligence Services Desk*

**Detected**: 2026-07-13T04:15:32.959Z (2h ago)
**Tags**: Iran, United States, Kuwait, Bahrain, Gulf, StraitOfHormuz, Oil, Military
**Sources**: OSINT
**Permalink**: https://hamerintel.com/data/alerts/14222.md
**Source**: https://hamerintel.com/summaries

---

**Summary**: Iran’s army and IRGC say they jointly launched new drone and missile attacks on U.S. bases in Kuwait while fresh salvos again struck Bahrain around 04:00 UTC, with multiple reported direct hits. The strikes widen Iran’s direct confrontation with U.S. forces across the Gulf, threaten the resilience of key air and naval hubs backing Hormuz traffic, and raise the risk of a drawn‑out regional air war with global oil exposure.

## Detail

Iran and the United States are sliding deeper into a direct shooting war across the Gulf, with Tehran’s forces claiming fresh strikes on U.S. positions in Kuwait and renewed hits in Bahrain just after 04:00 UTC.

At approximately 04:00 UTC on 13 July, multiple pro‑Iran and regional channels reported “heavy explosions” in Bahrain and “5–6 direct hits,” following earlier confirmed Iranian missile attacks on the U.S. Fifth Fleet hub there. Almost simultaneously, Iran’s army announced that it had joined the IRGC in launching a series of drone strikes on locations of U.S. forces and associated air defense and missile systems in Kuwait. Separate IRGC claims referenced damage to fuel storage tanks, a Patriot battery, and an FPS radar at Ali Al‑Salem and Ahmed Al‑Jaber air bases.

These reports remain partly claim‑based and require U.S. or allied confirmation, but the pattern is consistent across several sources: Iran is no longer limiting itself to symbolic retaliation. It is trying to degrade U.S. Gulf basing, air defense coverage, and sortie generation capacity in at least two host nations simultaneously, while U.S. Central Command has already acknowledged multiple strike waves on Iranian targets, including military sites tied to Hormuz.

For people on the ground in Bahrain and Kuwait, this means live combat conditions: air‑raid alerts, interception attempts, and the risk of debris or direct impacts in densely populated areas around U.S. facilities. Gulf governments are being forced to balance public safety and domestic politics against the risk of appearing unable to protect critical U.S. and national assets. Civilian air travel and port operations near these bases could see delays or precautionary suspensions if threat levels remain high.

Militarily, Iran is signaling that both its regular army and IRGC are committed to sustained, coordinated strike operations against U.S. infrastructure, using kamikaze drones such as the Arash‑2 and ballistic or cruise missiles. If even some of the claimed damage to Patriot systems, radars, or fuel farms is confirmed, U.S. and coalition air operations out of Kuwait could be constrained and will need rapid reconstitution or dispersal. Persistent attacks on Bahrain, home to the Fifth Fleet’s headquarters, test U.S. naval command resilience and may compel relocation of some command functions offshore or to hardened facilities.

For markets, the core risk is time and scale: a short, contained exchange keeps Hormuz open with a modest oil risk premium; a protracted campaign against bases supporting Hormuz patrols and convoy protection raises the probability of either shipping disruption or sharply higher insurance and security costs. Brent and WTI are likely to attract immediate geopolitical buying as traders hedge against worst‑case scenarios, while tanker owners, refiners, and LNG shippers reassess routing risk across the central Gulf. Safe‑haven assets such as gold, the U.S. dollar, and high‑grade sovereigns typically benefit in this environment, while regional equities, airlines, and tourism‑exposed sectors in the GCC could face sustained pressure.

Over the next 24–48 hours, key signals will be: (1) U.S. confirmation of damage assessments at Ali Al‑Salem, Ahmed Al‑Jaber, and Bahraini facilities; (2) any U.S. decision to surge additional air and missile defenses or carriers into the region; (3) indications of Kuwaiti and Bahraini political responses, including base‑access debates or public emergency measures; and (4) practical changes in Hormuz traffic patterns, convoying, or insurance restrictions. A shift from sporadic salvos to near‑daily strikes would mark a transition from crisis to sustained regional air war with structurally higher volatility in energy and Gulf risk assets.

**MARKET IMPACT ASSESSMENT:**
Heightened risk premium for crude and products as investors price sustained disruption risk to Gulf basing and air defense, with potential knock-on concerns over Hormuz transit security and insurance costs. Safe-haven flows likely into gold, USD, and defense names, while regional equities and GCC sovereign debt could face selling on escalatory war risk.