U.S. hits Iran as Gulf states targeted in flare-up over Hormuz
The United States carried out strikes on Iranian military targets, including air defence systems, radars, and dozens of vessels linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), after attributing earlier attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz to Iran.
In response, the IRGC targeted installations linked to US forces in Bahrain and Kuwait; both countries issued missile alerts, and the IRGC publicly acknowledged the strikes.
A subsequent, larger round of strikes saw the US Central Command (CENTCOM) report hitting roughly 140 military targets across Iran, followed by Iranian missile and drone strikes affecting the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain.
Jordan's armed forces intercepted missiles that entered its airspace, while the IRGC claimed to have struck a radar site in Kuwait and a command-and-control facility in Jordan.
The United States concurrently revoked a sanctions waiver that had permitted Iranian oil and petrochemical exports, combining military and economic pressure.
UN Charter Framework on the Use of Force
The UN Charter generally prohibits the use of force between states under Article 2(4), with a recognised exception under Article 51 for individual or collective self-defence "if an armed attack occurs," pending action by the UN Security Council. States invoking self-defence typically frame retaliatory strikes as responses to an armed attack, while the targeted state and other actors may dispute whether the threshold for an "armed attack" was met.
Key Details
- Article 2(4): prohibits the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state
- Article 51: preserves the "inherent right" of self-defence, but require that measures be reported immediately to the UN Security Council
- The UN Security Council may act under Chapter VII to restore international peace and security once notified
- Disputes over proportionality and necessity of self-defence claims are a recurring theme in International Relations/Public International Law questions
Both the US strikes on Iran and Iran's retaliatory strikes on Gulf states are framed by the respective actors as defensive responses, illustrating the contested, fact-dependent application of Article 51 in practice.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)
The IRGC is a branch of Iran's armed forces established in 1979 after the Islamic Revolution, distinct from and parallel to Iran's regular military (the Artesh). It has its own ground, air, and naval forces, controls Iran's ballistic missile programme, and includes the Quds Force, responsible for extraterritorial operations.
Key Details
- Established 1979 to safeguard the Islamic Revolution and provide an internal counterweight to the regular military
- Operates naval forces in the Persian Gulf, including the fast-attack craft frequently involved in Strait of Hormuz incidents
- The US State Department designated the IRGC in its entirety, including the Quds Force, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) on 15 April 2019 — the first time the US designated an arm of a foreign government's regular armed forces as an FTO
- Bahrain separately designated the IRGC a terrorist organisation in October 2018
The IRGC (rather than Iran's regular military) has been the primary actor conducting and claiming both the Strait of Hormuz attacks and the retaliatory strikes on Gulf states, reflecting its dual military and paramilitary role in Iran's power structure.
Gulf Security Architecture — GCC and US Basing Presence
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), formed in 1981 by Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman, provides a framework for regional political and economic coordination. Several GCC states separately host US military assets under bilateral defence arrangements, most notably Bahrain, home to the US Navy's Fifth Fleet headquarters, and Kuwait and Qatar, which host US Army and Air Force facilities respectively.
Key Details
- GCC established in Riyadh, May 1981; India engages the GCC through the India-GCC Strategic Dialogue
- US Fifth Fleet, under CENTCOM, is headquartered in Manama, Bahrain
- CENTCOM's area of responsibility spans the Middle East, including Iran, Iraq, and the Gulf states
- Jordan, though not a GCC member, hosts US forces under separate bilateral defence cooperation arrangements
The spread of strikes to Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, Oman, and Jordan reflects the density of US basing and defence arrangements across the Gulf and Levant, making any US-Iran confrontation a regional, multi-state security event rather than a bilateral one.
- IRGC designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the US State Department on 15 April 2019 — a first for a foreign state's armed forces
- GCC founded in 1981; six members: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman
- US Fifth Fleet is headquartered in Manama, Bahrain, under CENTCOM
- Approximately 140 military targets reported struck across Iran by CENTCOM in the second wave of strikes
- Roughly 9 million Indian nationals reside in GCC countries, sending close to 40% of India's total inward remittances, underscoring India's stakes in Gulf stability