Iran attacks US allies in Middle East in second week of renewed conflict

A screen grab from user-generated video on social media shows smoke and flames over the town of Mangaf, south of Kuwait City. Photograph: UGC/UNKNOWN/AFP/Getty Images View image in fullscreen A screen grab from user-generated video on social media shows smoke and flames over the town of Mangaf, south of Kuwait City. Photograph: UGC/UNKNOWN/AFP/Getty Images Iran attacks US allies in Middle East as renewed conflict enters second week Kuwait says civilian sites and infrastructure targeted, Jordan downs missiles and sirens sound in Bahrain as Iran responds to US strikes Iran launched a wave of attacks against US allies in the Middle East, as the renewal of US strikes on Iran entered a second week and fighting escalated over the strait of Hormuz. Kuwait has accused Iran of targeting civilian sites and vital infrastructure in the country, such as a power and water desalination plant. Kuwait , which is extremely arid, relies on desalinated water for about 90% of its drinking water. Why is Trump risking midterm disaster by resuming an already unpopular war with Iran? Read more The country was forced to briefly close its airspace as it intercepted Iranian missiles and drones, and said several Kuwaiti firefighters and a worker were injured while battling blazes sparked by Iranian strikes. Bahrain also activated its air sirens on Saturday, warning residents to shelter after it detected possible incoming drones or missiles, while Jordan’s state-run Petra news agency said that the kingdom’s air defence systems had downed Iranian missiles. The Iranian attacks on US allies in the region came in response to US attacks on civilian infrastructure including bridges and power facilities. The secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council condemned the attacks, saying strikes on civilian infrastructure amounted to “war crimes”. “Iran’s actions constitute a highly dangerous escalation, a grave violation of international law and the United Nations (UN) Charter, as well as war crimes requiring international accountability and prosecution, given the deliberate targeting of infrastructure and civilian facilities,” Jasem Mohamed al-Budaiwi said in a statement. Reports also indicate Iranians targeted an oil facility in Kuwait, resulting in a number of injuries and “significant material losses”, the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation told reporters. “The repeated targeting of these vital facilities reveals a systematic hostile approach targeting civilian sites and vital infrastructure that endangers the lives and safety of civilians,” the foreign ministry of Kuwait said. Late on Friday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said two oil tankers directed by “deceptive American intelligence agencies” had exploded after hitting mines in the strait of Hormuz. The US military said that claim was false. The IRGC also said on state television they had “stopped” four ships trying to transit the critical waterway, and had destroyed at least two US fighter aircraft and three other airc