Jordan and Bahrain found themselves increasingly entangled in the widening fallout from renewed US-Iran hostilities this weekend, as Iran unleashed another round of missiles and drone strikes targeting American military facilities and countries where US forces are stationed — a response to sweeping US military strikes carried out inside Iran.
The latest round of fighting represents a major escalation of clashes that first reignited on July 8 and 9, and has effectively gutted the memorandum of understanding that Washington and Tehran had signed on June 17. Iran once again announced that the Strait of Hormuz was closed to traffic, though the United States disputed that claim, stating that commercial shipping continued to move through the waterway.
US forces conducted strikes targeting Iranian missile installations, naval assets, communications infrastructure, and a range of other military targets. The conflict is placing mounting pressure on Gulf governments, which are struggling to maintain a careful balance between their own security needs and the demands of regional diplomacy.
