Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has claimed responsibility for missile and drone strikes on military installations associated with American forces in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, marking a dramatic escalation in the Gulf confrontation that has rattled global energy markets and strained regional alliances.

The Pentagon issued a statement denying any "operational damage to U.S. military installations" and said that American air defence systems intercepted the majority of incoming projectiles. However, Kuwaiti authorities confirmed minor structural damage at Ali Al Salem Air Base and ordered a temporary suspension of civilian flight operations from Kuwait International Airport as a precautionary measure.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a nationally televised address, warned that Tehran possesses "strategic patience but also strategic capability" and that any further strikes on Iranian assets would be met with "responses that America's regional architecture cannot absorb."

The European Union's foreign policy chief called an emergency ministerial meeting for Tuesday to discuss a coordinated diplomatic response, while China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged "maximum restraint from all parties" and offered to host mediation talks in Beijing.

Global oil prices spiked above $95 per barrel in overnight trading, while safe-haven assets including gold and the Swiss franc saw sharp inflows.