Fresh attacks across West Asia on Thursday marked a sharp escalation in the ongoing conflict, with Iran launching strikes that hit a Chinese company’s building in Kuwait and prompted Jordan to intercept multiple missiles. The developments came hours after the United States said it had carried out a major wave of strikes on Iranian military targets.

The renewed violence also spread beyond Iran, Jordan and Kuwait, with reported drone strikes on vessels in Egypt and fresh accusations by Saudi Arabia that Iran-backed militias had targeted its oil facilities, raising concerns over regional security and global energy supplies.

Iran Launches Fresh Missile Attacks

Kuwait’s military said an Iranian strike hit a building belonging to a Chinese company in the northern part of the country, severely damaging the structure and killing one worker.

Jordan’s armed forces said its air defence systems intercepted five Iranian missiles, preventing casualties. State-run Petra news agency quoted military officials as saying the missiles had been launched from Iran.

Iran’s official IRNA news agency reported that three people were killed and two others were injured in a strike on Qeshm Island near the Strait of Hormuz.

US Targets Iranian Military Sites

The latest exchange followed US Central Command’s announcement that it had completed a “heavy wave of strikes” against Iran in response to an earlier Iranian missile attack on a US military base in Jordan.

According to CENTCOM, dozens of targets linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were struck, including command centres, missile and drone facilities, as well as coastal surveillance and defence sites.

The operation came after US President Donald Trump warned that Iran would be hit “very hard” following the attack on the US base in Jordan.

Attacks Spread Across Region

British maritime security firm Ambrey said suspected drone strikes sparked fires aboard two natural gas vessels at Egypt’s Damietta port. Egyptian authorities said preliminary investigations indicated that drones caused the fires, although no injuries were reported.

Asked whether Iran was responsible, Trump said, “It’s a little more of the same,” adding that the United States would continue responding forcefully.

Saudi Arabia also accused Iraqi militias of launching drone attacks against its oil infrastructure in recent days. While an umbrella group representing Iraqi militias denied the allegations, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for attacks on Saudi energy facilities as part of their own campaign.

Diplomatic Efforts Continue

Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman reportedly held separate meetings with President Trump and Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday, during which Saudi Arabia reaffirmed that attacks on its energy infrastructure would not be tolerated while also stressing the need for de-escalation and renewed negotiations with Iran.

Diplomatic efforts to restore a ceasefire and revive US-Iran talks have suffered setbacks following renewed fighting around the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global oil shipments.

Meanwhile, the Houthis have declared a blockade of Saudi shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and claimed responsibility for drone attacks targeting oil infrastructure linked to the Red Sea export route.

Satellite imagery analysed by the Associated Press reportedly showed damage to Saudi Aramco’s Abqaiq oil-processing facility, underscoring growing concerns that the conflict could further disrupt global energy supplies and regional trade.

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