Iran claims tankers ‘exploded’ as US warns air defenses are running low

Following a ninth consecutive night of American strikes, Iran responded Sunday morning with fire toward Bahrain and Kuwait. Explosions were heard in Manama, Bahrain’s capital, after Iranian fire. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed that two oil tankers had “exploded” and been put out of operation after attempting to pass through the southern route in the Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran does not authorize. Iranian media also reported an explosion in Isfahan, one person killed and several others wounded in strikes on Tabriz, as well as attacks in Bushehr and Urmia. A U.S. official familiar with internal administration discussions told The Washington Post that “the United States is preparing for a broader war.” The official warned, however, that any expansion of the American operation would be constrained by dwindling stocks of air defense systems and long-range munitions. “We simply don’t have enough to sustain the operations safely, and I don’t think the White House is aware of that,” the official said.