US Navy's Fifth Fleet

The article outlines key US military bases in the Middle East under Centcom, including Bahrain hosting the Fifth Fleet, Iraq's Erbil and al-Harir bases, Jordan's Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, and Kuwait's facilities. It notes Iran's targeting of these bases and their roles in logistics, refueling, and combat operations. Attacks on US facilities in Iraq and Jordan have resulted in casualties.

Gulf countries, including Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, condemned Iran's drone attack on Bahrain, which hosts the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, as a threat to regional stability. The attack risks undermining a recent memorandum of understanding between U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, following prior U.S. airstrikes on Iran after a Strait of Hormuz cargo ship strike.

Iran and the US exchanged strikes in the worst escalation since an interim peace deal, following a cargo ship attack in the Strait of Hormuz. Both sides accused each other of violating the agreement, with the US blaming Iran for the initial strike and Iran retaliating against US-linked targets. The UK reported a projectile hitting a tanker in the strait, though no crew or environmental damage was reported.

Marco Rubio visits Bahrain to seek Gulf Arab support for the Trump administration's Iran deal, meeting with Bahrain officials and the Gulf Cooperation Council. Gulf leaders express concerns that the agreement could strengthen Iran and disrupt regional security and oil flows.

Iran fired ballistic missiles and drones at Bahrain and Kuwait following US strikes on Iranian coastal surveillance radar sites, escalating tensions and straining a fragile ceasefire. Bahrain, hosting the US Navy's Fifth Fleet, condemned the attacks, while Kuwait called them a dangerous escalation.

Bahrain stripped citizenship from 69 individuals under a controversial law for allegedly promoting pro-Iran activities, citing national security concerns. The move follows a royal directive to target those undermining the nation's stability and comes amid heightened tensions with Iran and recent Iranian attacks on U.S. military assets in the region.