Iran attacks US base in Qatar, Kuwait urges residents to conserve electricity
Shafaq News- Tehran/Doha
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) carried out, on Friday, a "large-scale surprise attack" on the US Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, after announcing strikes on military equipment at a US base in Kuwait.
According to IRGC, the attacks were “retaliation for US war crimes and attacks on civilians.”
Iranian state television said a US strike earlier targeted the maritime control tower in Chabahar, describing it as the third missile attack in recent days. The broadcaster noted that the strike completely destroyed the tower, which was responsible for managing maritime navigation and coordinating fishing rescue operations.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that Israel was conducting "a broad campaign" to mislead the US administration and push it toward "an unwinnable war."
In Kuwait, the Ministry of Electricity revealed that Iranian strikes damaged a large number of power generation and water desalination units. The ministry activated emergency plans immediately after the attack to limit its impact and preserve the stability of the national electricity grid. “Firefighting teams had brought the resulting blaze under control, and we urge citizens and residents to conserve electricity during an exceptional period."
At sea, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said military activity off the coast of Oman affected an oil tanker and a commercial vessel.
UKMTO ADVISORY 091-26Click here to view the full advisory.⤵️https://t.co/BnPcjFz2QD#MaritimeSecurity #MarSec pic.twitter.com/zy8wNMWsPb
— UKMTO Operations Centre (@UK_MTO) July 17, 2026
The UKMTO also added that it received a report of an incident involving a merchant ship and military forces east of Duqm, off the coast of Oman. It later reported that unauthorized individuals had boarded a vessel about 65 nautical miles south of Mukalla, Yemen, while it was sailing east of the Gulf of Aden.
Reuters, citing maritime security sources, reported that armed men had seized the chemical tanker Asana in the Gulf of Aden while it was en route to Bosaso, Somalia.
Separately, maritime analytics firm Kpler reported that only eight ships transited the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, marking the lowest daily traffic through the strategic waterway in three weeks.
