MANAMA, July 20, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Bahrain said Iranian drones targeted its air navigation systems on Monday, though traffic remained unaffected, while Kuwait also reported attacks in the latest Gulf escalation as the United States and Iran traded strikes.

A shaky US-Iran ceasefire has all but collapsed as Iran began attacking vessels using an Omani route in the Strait of Hormuz to force them to use its waters.

In response, the US has attacked Iran, which has responded with strikes on the Gulf and other Arab countries.

"As a result of a hostile Iranian act of aggression against the Kingdom of Bahrain, civil air navigation systems serving the Bahrain Flight Information Region were targeted by hostile drones. However, air navigation operations remained unaffected," Bahrain's civil aviation body said in a statement.

"Flights and air traffic" were proceeding normally, it added.

Earlier, Bahrain, which hosts the US Fifth Fleet, said its air defences "intercepted and destroyed a number of Iranian aerial aggressions", while Kuwait's military reported a "heinous Iranian aggression".

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they hit US military targets in Kuwait.

AFP correspondents in the Bahraini capital Manama heard explosions as sirens blared in the morning.

The US embassy in the island kingdom had said it "has information to suggest that Iran may seek to target unspecified locations in central Manama".

"We urge all Americans to remain vigilant, follow local authorities' instructions, and review the latest guidance" from the embassy, it said on its website.

Both Kuwait and Bahrain, which host US military installations, have borne the brunt of attacks by Iran on its Gulf neighbours since hostilities resumed this month despite a ceasefire and memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran.

Bahrain has accused Iran of targeting civilians, while Kuwait has reported Iranian attacks on water and electricity plants as well as oil facilities.