Iran launched ballistic missiles and drones at targets in Kuwait and Bahrain on June 2, striking Kuwait International Airport's passenger terminal and prompting flight suspensions, according to Kuwaiti and US military officials [3][4]. The OECD issued a formal warning that a prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz could drag global GDP growth to 2.1 percent in 2026 and 1.8 percent in 2027 [6]. The attacks and the economic assessment mark a geographic and institutional expansion of a conflict now in its 96th day, with US-Iran negotiations at a standstill and no sign of the ceasefire extension that had appeared close to agreement in late May [1][4].

US Central Command stated it carried out "self-defence" strikes on an Iranian military facility on Qeshm Island after Iran fired missiles toward Kuwait and Bahrain, adding that "all failed to hit their intended targets" or were intercepted [3][11]. CENTCOM also confirmed it disabled a Botswana-flagged oil tanker attempting to reach Iran's Kharg Island through the US maritime blockade [3][7]. "US forces remain vigilant and ready to defend against unwarranted Iranian aggression," CENTCOM said [1].

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps described the same sequence of events in reverse order: the US first attacked an Iranian tanker near the Strait of Hormuz, then struck a communications tower on Qeshm Island, and the IRGC responded with missile and drone attacks on the US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain, a regional airbase, and an "American-Zionist enemy vessel" [13][15]. "Disrupting the security of the Strait of Hormuz will carry a heavy price for the US military," the IRGC stated [4][9]. An IRGC military spokesperson said, "dass jede Aggression eine andere und entschiedenere Reaktion nach sich ziehen würde, und wir haben diese auch umgesetzt" (any aggression will meet a different and more decisive response, and we have carried it out) [5].

CENTCOM and the IRGC offered contradictory accounts of the strikes' effectiveness. CENTCOM stated that Iranian missiles fired at Kuwait "fell short or broke apart enroute" and that three missiles aimed at Bahrain "were immediately intercepted" [3]. The IRGC said it successfully struck the Fifth Fleet headquarters and a US airbase [6][13]. CENTCOM called those assertions false [13].

Kuwaiti Brigadier General Saud Abdulaziz Al-Atwan described the airport attack as "criminal Iranian aggression which resulted in significant material damage to the building and injuries" [4]. Kuwait's military said its air defences were intercepting incoming threats and urged the public "not to approach or touch any debris, shrapnel, or unidentified objects" [7]. The Bahraini government denounced the strikes as "a flagrant violation of sovereignty and a direct threat to the security of citizens and residents" [18]. Bahraini forces activated warning sirens and reported intercepting Iranian drones and missiles alongside US air defence units [10][6]. Tagesschau reported that despite a formal ceasefire, Kuwait, Bahrain, and the UAE continued to report Iranian attacks on oil, energy, and desalination infrastructure [21].

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers that Iran had "agreed to negotiate aspects of their nuclear program that just a month ago, just a year ago, they were refusing to even mention" and that opening the Strait of Hormuz was a first condition for any deal [12]. He declared "the war is over" during a Senate hearing, a statement immediately disputed by Democratic Senator Cory Booker, who said the conflict "never should have happened" and that the Hormuz closure had handed Tehran new leverage [4][1]. Senator Chris Van Hollen called the administration's foreign policy a "dumpster fire" [1]. President Donald Trump wrote on social media that "the conversations between us have been going on continuously, including four days ago, three days ago, two days ago, one day ago, and today" [4][5]. Iranian media reported no communication for days; Trump's account and the Iranian account remain unreconciled [9].

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that "the ceasefire between Iran and the US is unequivocally a ceasefire on all fronts, including in Lebanon. Its violation on one front is a violation of the ceasefire on all fronts" [7]. Iran's chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said Tehran could abandon negotiations and move toward confrontation if Israeli attacks on Lebanon continued [1]. Senior Hezbollah official Mahmud Qomati stated, "We will not accept a partial ceasefire" [12]. Lebanon's health ministry reported that Israeli strikes near a hospital in Tyre killed four people and wounded 127, including medical staff [12].

The economic consequences of the Hormuz blockade drew assessments from multiple international institutions. The IMF warned that under a severe scenario, global growth could fall to about 2 percent with inflation near 5.8 percent [26]. Xinhua, China's state news agency, described the disruption as the most severe supply risk since the 1970s oil crisis, warning Brent crude could exceed $150 per barrel under sustained closure — "霍尔木兹海峡受阻" (Strait of Hormuz obstructed) [23]. Brent crude was approaching $100 per barrel as of June 3 [10]. Chinese business outlet 21st Century Business Herald argued that alarm over the blockade was overstated for China specifically, citing data showing Chinese dependence on Hormuz-transiting crude had dropped to 33 percent of imports and that strategic reserves could cover over 90 days [24]. South Korea's Dong-a Ilbo reported that 70 percent of the country's crude oil imports could be blocked if the closure persisted [25]. War-risk insurance for vessels transiting the strait had spiked from 0.25 percent of ship value per transit before the conflict to as high as 10 percent before easing to 2–6 percent [27].

UNICEF warned that surging transport costs were blocking life-saving supplies to multiple countries [9]. The International Committee of the Red Cross said civilians inside Iran were "paying a heavy price," with damage to schools and hospitals and disruption of daily life [28]. The US Treasury sanctioned Iran's largest cryptocurrency exchange, Nobitex, accusing it of enabling the IRGC and Iran's central bank to move assets out of the country during wartime [2]. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Iran's regime "has chosen to co-opt digital asset technologies for its own corrupt agenda, including evading sanctions and transferring wealth out of the country" [2]. Nobitex stated it had anticipated such measures and made "the necessary technical and operational preparations" years in advance [2].

As of June 3, no new round of US-Iran negotiations had been announced, and the Strait of Hormuz remained effectively closed to commercial traffic [1][4]. Analyst Alan Eyre noted that while the US blockade was damaging Iran's economy over time, the Hormuz closure was creating "more immediate and urgent pressure on global markets" [1].