Gulf Missile Interception
Iran Launches Missiles and Drones Towards Gulf After U.S. Hits Surveillance Radar Sites
Iran fired seven ballistic missiles and a swarm of drones at Bahrain and Kuwait on June 6, 2026, after the U.S. struck Iranian radar sites overnight. CENTCOM confirmed six missiles were intercepted by U.S. and allied air defenses. A seventh failed to reach its target. No U.S. casualties were reported.
The strikes followed a U.S. decision to destroy Iranian coastal surveillance radar stations at Goruk and on Qeshm Island. Washington called the radar hits "self-defense" to protect international shipping. Iran called them a "clear violation" of the April 8 ceasefire, according to AFP.
How a Drone Swarm Sparked a Missile Exchange
It started on the evening of June 5. Reuters reported that CENTCOM detected and shot down four Iranian one-way attack drones — likely Shahed-series — heading toward the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. called them an "immediate threat to regional maritime traffic." Hours later, U.S. forces hit two Iranian radar sites in retaliation.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) struck back fast. By early June 6, seven ballistic missiles were in the air. Air raid sirens blared in Manama, Bahrain's capital, and near Kuwait International Airport, according to Gulf News. The IRGC later claimed it hit the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet headquarters in Bahrain and the Ali al-Salem Airbase in Kuwait. CENTCOM called both claims "false."
Iran's Allies Were Already Being Hit Before This Week
This is not the first time Iran has targeted Gulf neighbors. On June 1, an Iranian drone struck Kuwait International Airport, killing one civilian and wounding dozens, according to The Washington Post. That attack marked a clear shift: Iran was no longer just hitting U.S. military assets. It was going after U.S. regional allies.
The broader conflict began on February 28, 2026, when the U.S. and Israel struck Iranian leadership and nuclear sites. The Strait of Hormuz — a chokepoint for 20% of global oil — has been effectively closed by Iranian mines and drones since early March. A ceasefire was brokered in April, but skirmishes have continued ever since.
Trump Says Iran Has Lost 78% of Its Missiles
President Trump said in an NBC News interview that Iran has only "21 to 22 percent" of its original missile capacity left after 100 days of conflict. "They've got no choice but to reach a deal," he said, adding the crisis "will be resolved one way or the other." Iranian military adviser Mohsen Rezaei told CNN any deal is "at a deadlock" unless the U.S. releases $24 billion in frozen assets.
Meanwhile, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned Washington was "entering a dark corridor," according to IRNA. On the home front, the U.S. House passed a War Powers Resolution on June 3 — by a razor-thin 215-208 vote — to cut off Trump's military authority over the conflict, calling the war "illegal and costly."
Oil at $93 Now, but Analysts Warn of $135 by August
Brent crude sits at roughly $93 a barrel — down from a war peak above $120, but still painful. U.S. diesel prices are up 58% and jet fuel has doubled, rising 106% year-over-year, due to the Hormuz closure. Analysts at Rabobank warn oil could spike to $135 per barrel by August if the strait stays shut.
Markets are not yet pricing in a return to full-scale war, according to analyst Phil Flynn of Price Futures Group. Traders are betting on "de-escalation hopes" rather than a supply collapse, he said. But the World Food Programme warned that soaring energy and fertilizer prices are already pushing millions toward hunger, according to The Guardian.
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