The Iran War Reignites in September: U.S. Strikes and Attacks on Bases in Kuwait and the UAE

The United States carried out new airstrikes on Iranian territory on Sept. 1, 2026. According to Al Jazeera, four people were killed in a strike on a wedding ceremony near the city of Sirik in Iran's southern Hormozgan province. It was the first major clash in a month.

Iran's response

On Sept. 3, Iran's regular army (Artesh) attacked two military bases in the Persian Gulf: Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base in Kuwait and Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates.

The Iranian side said that satellite communication systems, equipment depots and fighter aircraft hangars had been targeted at the base in Kuwait, and that positions housing military personnel and radar systems had been struck at the base in the UAE. U.S. officials said the bases were not affected.

An analysis by the Critical Threats project noted that this attack differed from the usual tit-for-tat pattern: it was carried out after a four-day pause.

By the numbers

• Sept. 1: U.S. strikes, 4 killed at a wedding in Sirik
• Sept. 3: Iranian army attack on bases in Kuwait and the UAE
• Targets: Ahmad al-Jaber (Kuwait), Al Minhad (UAE)
• War start date: Feb. 28, 2026
• Strikes in the first 12 hours: ~900
• Supreme leader killed: Ali Khamenei (Feb. 28, 2026)

The situation in Lebanon

On Sept. 3, the Israel Defense Forces announced that it had taken control of a large underground facility beneath the Ali al-Tahir hill in Lebanon's Nabatieh district after a siege lasting several months.

Ali al-Tahir is considered a strategic height offering control over the Litani River and the Hula Valley.

How the war began

The current conflict began on Feb. 28, 2026. That day, U.S. and Israeli forces launched a large-scale attack against Iran's missile capabilities, air defenses, military infrastructure and leadership; roughly 900 strikes were recorded in the first 12 hours.

Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, was killed that day. An Israeli official said his body had been identified; U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed Khamenei's death on Feb. 28.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said at the time that the country regarded retaliation as its “legitimate right and duty.” Iran subsequently began missile and drone strikes against U.S. embassies, military facilities and oil infrastructure in the region.

The SCO's position

The declaration of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization adopted in Bishkek on Sept. 1 condemned the military strikes carried out on Iranian territory. The document was signed by the leaders of China, Russia, India, Pakistan and the Central Asian states.

Military strikes on the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran that have resulted in numerous civilian casualties.

— From the text of the Bishkek declaration (Al Jazeera translation, 01.09.2026)

The declaration also recognized Iran's right to a peaceful nuclear program under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and set out a position against unilateral sanctions.

Iran's military capabilities

According to the Critical Threats analysis, Iran's ballistic missile capabilities have sustained serious damage over the course of the war; the analysis noted that roughly half of the missiles are failing to reach their targets. It said Iran is therefore weighing three courses — a large-scale retaliatory strike, a limited symbolic attack, or refraining from a military response.

These assessments are the conclusions of an analytical center and have not been officially confirmed.

The diplomatic track

It was reported that political and military negotiations on Lebanon are scheduled to be held in Rome and in Tampa in mid-September.

In Iraq, three people were sentenced to 15 years in prison over a March missile attack on the K1 base. Ten drones were shot down over Erbil.

What it means for Central Asia

Phases of the war

The conflict began on Feb. 28, 2026. U.S. and Israeli forces launched a large-scale attack against Iran's missile capabilities, air defense systems, military infrastructure and leadership facilities. Roughly 900 strikes were recorded in the first 12 hours.

Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, was killed on the first day of the attack. U.S. President Donald Trump issued a statement on it on Feb. 28. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had initially said that the supreme leader and President Masoud Pezeshkian were alive; Khamenei's death was confirmed later.

Iran subsequently began missile and drone strikes against U.S. embassies, military facilities and oil infrastructure in the region. Clashes continued through the spring and summer months with periodic pauses.

In late July, Iran had attacked facilities on Jordanian territory; the September strike on the bases in Kuwait and the UAE was assessed as the next action in that series.

Global economic impact

The central economic dimension of the conflict is the Strait of Hormuz. A significant share of the world's seaborne oil passes through the strait. The city of Sirik lies precisely in Hormozgan province, in an area close to the strait.

In the SCO declaration adopted in Bishkek on Sept. 1, member states set out the task of stabilizing global trade flows disrupted by regional conflicts and instability along sea routes.

The question of civilian casualties

The information about the strike on the wedding ceremony in Sirik was reported by Al Jazeera. There is no information as to whether the official U.S. side issued a separate statement on that strike.

The SCO declaration described the strikes carried out on Iranian territory as having “resulted in numerous civilian casualties.” The document was signed by the leaders of China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Belarus and four Central Asian states.

There is no single independently confirmed figure for the total number of casualties; the ability to verify information is limited under wartime conditions.

The Lebanon front

The conflict's second theater is southern Lebanon. On Sept. 3, the Israel Defense Forces announced it had taken control of the underground facility beneath the Ali al-Tahir hill in the Nabatieh district after a siege lasting several months. According to Israeli media, dozens of personnel from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were in the facility.

Ali al-Tahir is considered a strategic height offering control over the Litani River and the Hula Valley. According to analysts, Iran had warned the United States in mid-August that a large-scale response would follow if the hill were taken.

Israel also released one Lebanese prisoner. It was reported that political and military negotiations on Lebanon are scheduled to be held in Rome and in Tampa in mid-September.

Iran is a full member of the SCO and one of the alternative routes to the sea for Central Asian states. Part of the goods from Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan reaches Persian Gulf ports through Iranian territory.

Under wartime conditions, logistical risks along this route increase. For that reason, the region's states are paying increasing attention to the Middle Corridor — the route running through the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey.