Saudi Arabia forms military alliance to secure Red Sea as Iran strikes US base in Kuwait
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Saudi Arabia forms military alliance to secure Red Sea as Iran strikes US base in Kuwait")
A commercial vessel passes through an international shipping lane off Yemen's Hanish Island in the Red Sea on July 27, 2026. Photograph: (AFP)
Saudi Arabia and 13 other countries have formed a maritime defence alliance to secure the Red Sea and Bab Al Mandab as Iran escalated retaliatory strikes against US targets in Kuwait amid rising tensions across West Asia.
Tensions in West Asia remain high as the conflict between Iran and the United States continues to spread across multiple fronts. While the US refrained from launching fresh attacks on Iran on Thursday, Tehran carried out a retaliatory strike on a key American air base in Kuwait. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump chaired a cabinet meeting at Camp David.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed that it launched drone strikes targeting fighter aircraft shelters, satellite communication systems and equipment storage facilities at the Ahmad Al Jaber Air Base in Kuwait. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) has not yet responded to the claim.
Kuwait's Defence Ministry, however, said it intercepted Iranian drones targeting vital facilities. It attributed the reported damage to falling shrapnel and said no casualties were recorded.
According to the IRGC, the attack was carried out in response to US strikes on a residential building on Qeshm Island, located near the strategic Strait of Hormuz. CENTCOM, meanwhile, said it had struck dozens of IRGC targets across Iran, including military command centres and missile and drone facilities.
Iran also claimed that it had stopped two tankers attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz under the air escort of the US military. Tehran said the vessels were brought to a halt, while four other tankers reportedly turned around and returned to their previous positions.
Amid the continuing deadlock over negotiations with Iran, an NBC News report claimed that Trump was frustrated by disagreements among his top military advisers. The report said his frustration stemmed from the absence of a clear strategy to deal with the conflict.
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According to the report, Trump became angry during a recent national security meeting and shouted expletives at his advisers. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt denied the claim.
With Iran-backed Houthi forces also joining the hostilities, Saudi Arabia and 13 other countries have formed a maritime defence alliance to protect navigation around the Bab Al Mandab Strait. The strategic waterway handles nearly 7% of global crude oil trade.
The alliance includes Pakistan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Türkiye. The participating countries have agreed to protect their shared maritime interests across the Bab Al Mandab, Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
The development comes after the Houthis announced a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia last week and attacked Saudi vessels attempting to cross the Red Sea. According to reports, Saudi Arabia is also preparing for a major military offensive against the Houthis by sea and land in central Yemen.
Meanwhile, joint US and Saudi strikes against Iran-backed paramilitary groups in Iraq earlier this week have continued to trigger outrage. Trump said the attacks were coordinated with the Iraqi government, but Baghdad denied having any prior knowledge of the strikes.
At least 20 members of Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces were killed, and 32 others were injured in the attacks.
The attacks continued in Iran and across the region. Earlier in the day, two drones struck a building in northern Iraq that was allegedly linked to an Iranian Kurdish organisation. The attack caused a fire and sent heavy plumes of smoke into the sky.
The IRGC also released photographs of Jordan's Al Azraq Air Base, claiming to show damage to American assets. A day earlier, it claimed that a missile attack on the base had destroyed three American F-35 fighter jets, damaged three others and killed several US military personnel. CENTCOM has strongly denied the claims.
As the conflict continues, Indians are also paying a heavy price. A day earlier, the Narendra Modi government said 16 Indian nationals, including 10 seafarers, had died in West Asia since the war began in February. Another 75 Indians have reportedly suffered injuries.
With the conflict expanding across multiple fronts, uncertainty remains over whether the retaliatory strikes will pause or continue. As Iran, the US and their allies remain locked in confrontation, West Asia continues to remain on edge.
