Lead:

Iran launched a series of missile and drone attacks targeting Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, and Saudi shipping assets in the Gulf on Thursday, triggering a wave of regional condemnation and military interceptions. Saudi Arabia, the Gulf Cooperation Council, and multiple Arab governments responded with forceful diplomatic protests, demanding respect for international law and sovereignty. The strikes mark a significant escalation in an already volatile regional environment shaped by ongoing US-Iran military exchanges.

Details:

According to Newsd, Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned Iran's strikes in the "strongest possible terms," describing them as repeated and sinful aggressions against Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan. The Saudi foreign ministry reaffirmed the kingdom's firm position rejecting any attacks on the sovereignty of states and called for strict compliance with international law and UN Security Council resolutions.

The Gulf Cooperation Council issued a formal statement expressing absolute denunciation of Tehran's military operations, specifically citing attacks against the Saudi oil tanker Wadyan and the Qatari cargo vessel Al-Rukayat, according to Newsd. The GCC affirmed the right of its member states to defend their sovereignty against Iranian aggressions and called for a halt to what it described as a systematic pattern of hostile conduct.

Newsd further reports that Bahrain's General Command of the Bahrain Defence Force announced that Iran continued its hostile approach through missile and drone strikes, stating that Bahraini air defences engaged and intercepted incoming threats. Kuwait's Ministry of Defence spokesman, Colonel Saud Abdulaziz Al-Atwan, announced the interception of 14 hostile aerial targets, confirming material damage and one injury on Kuwaiti territory. Jordan's armed forces separately declared the interception of eight Iranian ballistic missiles fired toward Jordanian territory, with no casualties reported.

On the broader conflict landscape, Al Youm reports that the US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed on Thursday that Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz, pushing back against Iranian claims of dominance over the critical waterway. A US official cited by Al Youm added that the dozens of missiles and drones launched by Iran on Thursday caused no significant damage or casualties among American forces in the region. Al Youm also reported explosions near Bushehr in southwestern Iran, with an Iranian official confirming that a US strike targeted the vicinity of the Bushehr nuclear power station, according to official Iranian news agency IRNA.

Watch For:

Whether Iran escalates further against Gulf states or redirects its military focus primarily toward US and Israeli targets in response to strikes near Bushehr.

Whether the GCC moves beyond diplomatic condemnation toward a coordinated security response, including possible emergency consultations or a formal council session.

How the disruption to navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waterways develops, given the sharp decline in maritime traffic reported since Wednesday.