Regional Flashpoints: Trump Announces Gaza Disarmament Deal as Gulf Defenses Intercept Drone Attacks
Iran, US trade strikes and claims from Hormuz to Kuwait amid Gaza deal push
The Middle East remains on edge as multiple flashpoints escalate at once. President Trump announced late Thursday that a phased deal has been reached for Hamas to disarm and Israeli forces to withdraw from Gaza, though neither side has confirmed it yet. In the Gulf, the US-Iran standoff continues, with CentCom disputing Iranian claims that a tanker broke through the naval blockade, and fresh Treasury sanctions hitting a network accused of supporting the IRGC and Mahan Air. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has launched a 14-nation maritime alliance to protect Red Sea shipping after Houthi threats, and concerns are growing in Washington over depleted US missile defense stocks amid near-daily Iranian strikes.
Kuwait says it downed hostile drones targeting military sites
Kuwait’s Ministry of Defence said its armed forces detected and destroyed hostile drones that entered Kuwaiti airspace since dawn on Friday. Spokesman Brigadier General Saud Abdulaziz Al-Otaibi said the attack, which he attributed to Iran, targeted several vital and military facilities, causing material damage from falling shrapnel but no casualties. The military affirmed it remains on high alert and continues to take all necessary measures to protect the country’s sovereignty and security in coordination with relevant authorities.
Iran says struck two tankers under US ‘air escort’ trying to pass Hormuz
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said Friday that they had struck two tankers attempting to pass though the strategic Strait of Hormuz under the “air escort” of the US military.
The IRGC said the “non-compliant oil tankers… were struck and brought to a halt, while four other oil tankers quickly changed course and returned to their previous positions”.
The Guards said the tankers had attempted to pass the strait via “an undeclared route”, the US-backed alternative to Tehran’s designated waterway closer to its own shores.
US disputes Iranian claims on Hormuz, F-35s and tanker blockade breach
US Central Command pushed back on three separate claims made by Iranian state media tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). CENTCOM rejected assertions that open Strait of Hormuz routes are unsafe for commercial vessels, saying the real threat comes from IRGC’s own attacks and threats.
It also denied Iranian reports that three US F-35 fighters and three other aircraft were destroyed in a recent strike on an American air base, stating no U.S. aircraft were damaged and all Iranian missiles and drones were intercepted or missed their targets.
Finally, CENTCOM disputed claims that the oil tanker M/T Nora broke through the US naval blockade, saying more than 20 warships, hundreds of aircraft and thousands of personnel remain actively enforcing the blockade.
Source: Gulf News
