Iran's Navy Issues Evacuation Warning for Ships Near Kuwait and Bahrain

Iran's Navy has warned ships near Kuwait and Bahrain to evacuate as the country threatens retaliatory strikes on US bases. The Iranian state television issued a message stating, "All oil tankers in the Kuwait and Bahrain area must be evacuated immediately. Given the atrocities of the US terrorist army in targeting several Iranian oil tankers, we warn all oil tanker crews in the vicinity of the Kuwaiti and Bahraini ports—which host these terrorists and are complicit in their crimes—to immediately abandon their vessels, whether at anchor or alongside the docks, as they will be targeted." Last week, Kuwaiti authorities reported that their air defenses were confronting "hostile missile and drone attacks, following the sinful Iranian aggression." They added, "The General Staff of the Army notes that if explosion sounds are heard, they are the result of air defense systems intercepting the hostile attacks. Everyone is requested to adhere to the security and safety instructions issued by the competent authorities." This warning from Iran follows US military strikes on Kharg Island, indicating that tensions may escalate as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) seeks to retaliate. The US military conducted strikes near Kharg Island and Jask on Tuesday, with the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim news agency confirming that a tanker was hit by a missile approximately four miles from Kharg Island, although there were no reports of casualties.