Iran has continued to demonstrate an ability to target bases in the Gulf used by the United States, striking air bases in the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, according to the Guardian. The attacks came despite six months of war and a newly imposed sanctions regime that the Trump administration has described as an ‘economic D-day’.

The strikes underline Tehran’s persistence in reaching US military infrastructure across the region even as it faces sustained military and economic pressure. The US president has threatened further strikes against Iran, but the latest attacks suggest those warnings have not deterred Iranian action.

Against this backdrop, Israel’s defence chief warned that the economic pressures resulting from the sanctions could lead Iran to escalate toward more ‘extreme measures’. The comments framed the sanctions as a potential trigger for further instability rather than a purely restraining force.

According to the Guardian, the Israeli defence chief said Iran’s regime fears collapse due to the economic strain it is under. That assessment ties the country’s military posture directly to the pressures now bearing down on its economy.

The combination of continued Iranian strikes, US threats of retaliation and Israeli warnings about desperation points to a volatile situation in the Gulf. The targeting of bases in the UAE and Kuwait brings additional countries into the immediate line of a conflict that has already stretched over half a year.

The developments leave open the question of how the United States will respond following its threats, and whether the sanctions regime will curb Iran’s activities or, as Israel’s defence chief cautioned, prompt Tehran toward more extreme steps.