Tehran warns of further disruption amid US attacks

Kuwait’s air defenses are again engaged in repelling Iranian missile and drone attacks, the Kuwaiti military said on Friday.

A statement from the Kuwait Army General Staff said the explosions heard in the country were the result of its air defense systems intercepting the latest barrage of airstrikes.

Reports early Friday said multiple explosions were heard in Qatar’s capital Doha, as Iran targets US military bases in neighboring Middle Eastern states.

A government security alert beeped on mobile phones, asking people to seek shelter and warning that the security threat level was “increased”.

The reason for the sound of the explosion was not immediately known.

Iran has told Yemen’s Houthi rebels to be prepared to disrupt shipping through the Red Sea if the United States attacks Iranian power infrastructure, according to sources cited by Reuters news agency.

Three sources familiar with the matter said the proposal has been discussed within Iran’s leadership and communicated to the Houthis, though neither Tehran nor the Yemeni group have publicly confirmed the report.

A source close to the Houthis told Reuters the group has deployed drones and missiles near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the southern entrance to the Red Sea, and is awaiting orders.

This development raises concerns of further escalation of regional conflict. With the Strait of Hormuz already disrupted by the US-Iran war, any threat to shipping through the Red Sea could impact another major route for global energy supplies and international trade.

Iran’s judiciary has rejected US President Donald Trump’s claim that an American citizen detained in Iran has been released.

According to Iranian state media, judicial officials said a check of prison records showed that no American prisoners matching Trump’s description had been released or exchanged.

Earlier, Trump said a US citizen, whom he described as “wrongfully detained” since 2024, has safely left Iran, a move called a “gesture of goodwill” by Tehran.

The conflicting statements increase uncertainty about the status of any American detainees in Iran.

Washington and Tehran continue to signal that communication between the two sides remains open despite ongoing military tensions.

The United States says it has launched strikes on Iranian targets for the sixth consecutive night, while Tehran stepped up attacks on US-linked sites across the region.

Iran has reportedly instructed Yemen’s Houthi movement to be prepared to disrupt shipping through the Red Sea if the United States targets Iran’s power infrastructure, raising new concerns about global energy supplies.

Stay tuned for the latest developments, analysis and reactions to this fast-moving story.