Tensions in the Gulf escalated overnight as Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) launched retaliatory missile and drone strikes against US military bases in Bahrain and Kuwait. The IRGC confirmed the operation in a statement via state television, targeting facilities at Arifjan and Ali Al Salem in Kuwait, as well as Juffair and Sheikh Isa in Bahrain. The Guards issued a stern warning that these responses would expand to other regional bases should the United States continue its offensive.
Air raid sirens were activated across Bahrain and Kuwait as the attacks unfolded. Kuwait’s military said on Thursday that its air defences were intercepting “hostile missile and drone attacks”, noting that explosions heard in the area were the result of these defensive measures. This exchange follows a series of US-led strikes on Iranian territory, which were ordered by President Donald Trump after three ships were targeted in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump had previously warned that if Iran continued to disrupt navigation in the vital waterway, the situation would escalate significantly.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that its recent strikes were necessary to degrade Iranian capabilities and protect freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical transit point for a significant portion of the world’s energy supply. According to reports from Iran’s official news agency, IRNA, explosions were heard near Kish Island and in the port cities of Bandar Abbas, Konarak, and Chabahar, with some areas experiencing power outages.
In response to the ongoing confrontation, Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, stated on social media that the Strait of Hormuz would only operate under Iranian arrangements. Ghalibaf criticized the US for what he described as bullying tactics, asserting that the United States has not learned that its actions come with consequences. He warned, “If you strike, you will be struck,” signaling a continued cycle of hostilities between the two nations.
"The General Staff of the Army notes that any explosions heard are a result of air defense systems intercepting hostile attacks," the Kuwait military said in a post on X, without specifying their origin.
