Iran warns oil tankers near Kuwait and Bahrain could be targeted

Iran has issued a serious warning to oil tanker crews operating near Kuwait and Bahrain, saying the vessels could come under attack in retaliation for US strikes on Iranian ships.

According to Iran’s state news agency IRNA, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned tankers in Kuwaiti and Bahraini ports to leave their vessels, whether they were anchored or docked.

The warning comes as tensions in the region continue to escalate. Iran accused Kuwait and Bahrain of hosting what it described as hostile forces and said tankers connected to those ports could become targets.

The statement urged crews to leave their ships, raising fresh concerns about the safety of commercial shipping and the potential impact on energy markets and regional trade.

For crews working at sea, such warnings are more than political statements. They can quickly become a matter of personal safety, with uncertainty over whether commercial vessels could be caught in a widening conflict.

The latest threat adds another layer of risk to an already tense Gulf region, where any disruption involving oil tankers could have consequences far beyond the immediate area.

For businesses, shipping companies and seafarers, the message is clear: the security situation around key Gulf shipping routes is becoming increasingly difficult to predict, and developments will need to be watched closely.