U.S.-Iran Strikes Extend Missile Threats Across Gulf States

U.S. strikes and regional retaliation

U.S. Central Command said its September 1 strike wave targeted Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps air-defense sites, radar systems, maritime assets, mine-laying capabilities and communications sites. CENTCOM said the operation followed attempted attacks on shipping and U.S. personnel. The command also reported that more than 50,000 U.S. service members were operating across the Middle East as of September 1. CENTCOM described the targets and its rationale.

The September operation followed an August 30 U.S. strike near Larak Island. CENTCOM said IRGC personnel were preparing rocket launchers capable of deploying sea mines. Iran acknowledged deaths and injuries without providing a verified total. Iran characterized the action as aggression, and public reporting reviewed did not establish independent evidence of the launchers’ immediate intended use.

Iran then launched missiles and drones toward Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. Jordan said it detected 13 Iranian ballistic missiles on September 2, destroyed 10 and reported that three fell in remote areas without deaths or injuries. Jordan had also reported intercepting eight missiles entering its airspace on August 31. Jordan’s armed forces provided the September 2 account.

Kuwait’s armed forces said they engaged Iranian missile and drone threats early September 2, while Bahrain reported intercepting aerial attacks. The UAE reported intercepting an Iranian drone on August 31. Iranian state media said its drones targeted U.S. bases in Bahrain and the UAE; reviewed public reporting did not establish successful impacts, casualties or material damage at those bases.

Shipping risk and Hormuz flows

The U.S. Maritime Administration continues to classify the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman as high-risk areas because of Iranian threats and attacks on commercial vessels. Its advisory identifies continuing danger for ships transiting the region.

A Saudi-flagged crude tanker was attacked near Hormuz on August 31, killing two Filipino crew members; 14 Filipino crew survived, according to the Associated Press. Initial AP reporting said no party had claimed responsibility. The UAE attributed the attack to Iran, though publicly available evidence establishing attribution remains limited.

Hormuz carried about 20 million barrels per day in 2025, or 25% of globally traded oil, along with 19% of global liquefied natural gas trade, according to the Congressional Research Service. Saudi Arabia and the UAE have pipeline routes that bypass the strait, although CRS estimates Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline capacity at roughly 7 million barrels per day.

Claims that traffic has slowed to a trickle conflict with U.S. officials’ reports that more than 17 million barrels crossed on August 31 and roughly 40 vessels moved through on September 1. Those figures require independent tracking confirmation. Sustained oil volumes, tanker availability and insurer confidence remain central measures of the disruption.

Oil prices and near-term uncertainties

Brent crude settled at $95.63 on September 2 and traded at $97.25 on September 3, up 1.7% in the cited session, AP reported. Brent had traded near $80 during August and was more than 30% above its level at the February 28 start of the war.

Prices near $100 create a channel to higher gasoline, diesel, aviation and shipping costs. A sustained increase would add inflation pressure and complicate Federal Reserve interest-rate decisions. The duration of the strike cycle, the sustainable volume moving through Hormuz, and the remaining missile, drone and air-defense inventories remain uncertain.