US Hits Iran in Fresh Evening Wave; Kuwait Intercepts Missiles
US forces struck Iranian air defense, coastal radar and missile-drone sites in a fresh Wednesday-evening wave as Kuwait intercepted Iranian missiles and drones and blasts sounded near the US consulate in Erbil.
Developing story — this page will be updated as information becomes available.
US forces struck a fresh wave of Iranian military positions on Wednesday evening, hitting air defense systems, coastal radar and missile and drone sites, while Kuwait intercepted a batch of Iranian missiles and drones and explosions were reported near the US consulate in Erbil, according to the Jerusalem Post and Middle East Eye. It is the second US strike wave against Iran within a single day, following the Wednesday-morning operation targeting Hormuz shipping capabilities.
What we know
The Jerusalem Post said the US military described the latest bombings as targeting Iranian air defense systems, coastal radar, and missile and drone sites, along with small boats and other maritime assets. The Hill said the second wave on Wednesday was aimed at Tehran’s ability to threaten ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz and came as President Trump weighed additional attacks against Iranian infrastructure, including bridges.
Middle East Eye reported the new wave landed on Wednesday evening, with separate blasts heard near the US consulate in Erbil, in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region. The Jerusalem Post’s headline said Kuwait intercepted Iranian missiles and drones — a defended retaliation attempt distinct from Iran’s claimed strikes on US forces in Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan a day earlier. Al Jazeera said the US attacks have killed dozens in Iran and are pushing the fragile ceasefire closer to collapse. Reuters said US officials described the strikes as strengthening Trump’s options for a broader escalation, and the Times of Israel said officials framed the ongoing operations as preparing the ground for more intense action if Trump decides to escalate.
Trump said Iran “badly wants to settle” with the United States, adding that Washington would decide whether to take that step, per the Jerusalem Post.
What we don’t know
CENTCOM has not published a full target list, damage assessment or casualty figures from the evening wave. Kuwaiti authorities have not publicly confirmed the intercepted salvo or attributed it to Iranian regular forces, the IRGC or Iran-backed militias. The origin of the Erbil consulate blasts — whether Iranian ballistic strike, Iran-aligned militia rocket fire, or another cause — has not been established on the record. Oil markets shrugged: OilPrice said Brent slipped despite the escalation. This is a developing story.
Context
The evening wave marks a second same-day US strike operation and a widening of the target set beyond the Hormuz-specific installations hit in the morning. CENTCOM told the Jerusalem Post that US forces remain ready to strike Iranian capabilities threatening commercial shipping, and Iran’s response through Kuwait — successfully intercepted — comes on top of Iranian claims earlier this week of attacks on US bases across the Gulf. Tehran said Wednesday that more than 30 civilians have been killed in the ongoing US campaign against southern Iran, and CENTCOM has separately said it struck “dozens” of Iranian targets in an earlier expansion of the campaign.
What to watch
- A CENTCOM statement itemizing the evening-wave targets and confirming or denying casualty figures.
- Kuwaiti and Iraqi Kurdish government statements attributing the Kuwait intercept and Erbil consulate blasts to a specific actor.
- Trump’s next move on the escalation ladder — bridges, power plants, or a pause tied to the “settle” language he used Wednesday.
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