Trump warns of largest strikes on Iran yet as Tehran lashes out across Gulf

What Happened

United States President Donald Trump told Axios on Thursday that he is ‘considering a massive attack’ on Iran that would be ‘bigger than ever before’ and that he is ‘close to making a decision’. The threat follows 12 consecutive nights of US strikes on Iran, which Iranian media report have hit bridges and tunnels. On Thursday, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it targeted US military assets in Jordan and Kuwait, and acknowledged striking a telecommunications tower in Kuwait in retaliation for US attacks on similar towers in Iran. Kuwait said its Abdali border crossing with Iraq was also attacked by ‘hostile drones’. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned of ‘an eye for an eye’ retaliation, while an Iranian army spokesperson stated that retaliatory attacks would continue as long as US attacks on Iranian infrastructure and coastal areas persist. Concurrently, Yemen’s Houthis attacked two Saudi tankers in the Red Sea and declared a blockade of Saudi ports, with Houthi sources telling Al Jazeera that Saudi Aramco facilities ‘could become a future target’ unless Riyadh lifts its own blockade on Houthi-controlled ports. Brent crude oil prices surged past $100 per barrel for the first time since May amid the disruptions.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The escalation risks a full-scale US-Iran military conflict that is already drawing in multiple Gulf states. Iran’s direct strikes on Kuwait, Jordan, and Bahrain expand the theatre beyond the initial US-Iran exchanges, while Houthi attacks on Saudi tankers and threats to Aramco threaten another vital shipping route and global energy supplies. The surge in oil prices past $100 per barrel, coupled with depleted strategic reserves, could severely impact the global economy, and the UN warns the situation is ‘teetering on the edge of the unimaginable’.

Watch For

Trump’s decision on whether to proceed with massive strikes, potentially announced in coming days; the IRGC’s and Iranian army’s next round of retaliatory attacks on US assets or allies; whether Houthi threats against Saudi Aramco materialise, particularly if Riyadh does not lift its blockade; further disruptions in the Bab al-Mandeb and Strait of Hormuz shipping lanes; and any diplomatic interventions or emergency UN Security Council actions.