Day 121 of the Iran conflict saw severe escalation as US forces continued bombing targets in Iran, while the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) retaliated with strikes against US forces in Bahrain and Kuwait.
According to sources, on June 28, the US carried out airstrikes for a second consecutive day on Iran's Sirik, Bandar-e Lengeh, and Qeshm Island areas. This followed a drone attack on a commercial vessel near the Strait of Hormuz.
In response, the IRGC announced it had launched ballistic missiles and drones targeting the US Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait and the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain. Kuwait confirmed it had activated its air defense systems and was responding to missile and drone threats. Bahrain urged residents to seek shelter after air raid sirens sounded. A US official said no casualties or major damage to US forces had been reported.
Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates condemned Iran's drone attack on Bahrain, expressing solidarity with the kingdom and rejecting any actions threatening regional security.
On the US side, President Donald Trump warned that the US might be forced to “finish the job” if Iran continued its attacks, signaling a tougher stance from the White House. Former US naval officer Harlan Ullman assessed that the tit-for-tat strikes between Washington and Tehran risked “spinning out of control,” and rising oil prices could pressure Trump to return to negotiations. Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna condemned the US airstrikes as a “blatant violation” of Congress's War Powers Resolution, warning he would take the president to court if the war did not stop.
Tehran-based political analyst Abas Aslani argued that Iran sees the Strait of Hormuz as leverage to deter future US attacks. “Iran considers the strait as a lever to prevent any repetition of new aggression against the country,” he told Al Jazeera, stressing that any attempt to change the situation there “by force” is “unacceptable to Tehran.”
Separately, Israel launched new strikes on southern Lebanon, killing at least one person, just a day after Tel Aviv reached a framework deal with the Lebanese government to end hostilities. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the US-brokered deal a “major blow to Iran and Hezbollah.” However, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir branded the agreement a “historic mistake,” saying it gave Hezbollah a “lifeline.” On the Lebanese side, President Joseph Aoun said US President Donald Trump had pledged economic and military support for Lebanon and called on Washington to ensure Israel adhered to the deal and withdrew from southern Lebanon. Hezbollah rejected the agreement, calling it “null and void.”
