Iran Orders Tanker Crews to Abandon Ships in Kuwait and Bahrain
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has issued an emergency warning ordering crews aboard oil tankers in Kuwaiti and Bahraini ports to leave their vessels immediately.
The IRGC warned crews to evacuate whether their tankers were anchored offshore or berthed inside ports, saying the vessels would be targeted.
Iran accused Kuwait and Bahrain of hosting U.S. forces and described the two countries as partners in Washington’s military actions against Tehran
The warning came after U.S. forces destroyed five Iranian-linked oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman and near Kharg Island. Washington said the strikes followed Iranian missile attacks against U.S. Navy warships and that tanker crews had been ordered to evacuate before the strikes.
The latest Iranian threat significantly raises the risk to commercial shipping inside Gulf ports, extending the confrontation beyond the Strait of Hormuz and toward the territorial waters and port facilities of U.S. allies.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has already fallen sharply amid the escalating conflict, with only six commodity vessels recorded passing through on Tuesday, well below the recent 10-day average.
The situation remains highly fluid. The IRGC warning represents a threat of potential attacks; it does not confirm that all vessels in Kuwaiti or Bahraini ports have been targeted or attacked.