Tensions Escalate: Iran Attacks US Military Assets in Kuwait and Bahrain
The Iranian military has launched two waves of attacks against United States military assets in the Gulf region. The US military claims that several missiles and drones launched by Tehran towards Kuwait and Bahrain were either intercepted immediately or failed to hit their targets.
US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees US military operations in the Middle East, also announced that its forces have launched “defensive strikes” against Qeshm Island, an Iranian island located in the Strait of Hormuz within the Persian Gulf waters.
“US forces successfully intercepted several Iranian ballistic missiles and drones, and launched defensive strikes against Qeshm Island in response to Iranian attack attempts across the Middle East region,” CENTCOM stated on Wednesday local time.
CENTCOM claimed that these “defensive strikes” targeted Iranian military ground control stations located on Qeshm Island. Furthermore, CENTCOM reported that another wave of Iranian drone attacks targeting US troops in Kuwait failed to hit their intended targets during the night.
“An additional wave of Iranian drones attempting to attack US forces in Kuwait failed to hit their intended targets tonight. US Central Command air defences successfully shot down several drones, ensuring that no American personnel or assets were in danger,” the CENTCOM statement asserted.
Regarding ballistic missiles, CENTCOM reported that Iran launched several missiles targeting Kuwait and Bahrain, neighbouring Gulf nations that host US military assets. CENTCOM emphasised that all missiles from Tehran failed to reach their targets.
“Two Iranian missiles fired towards Kuwait failed to hit their targets or were destroyed in the air, and three missiles launched towards Bahrain were immediately intercepted by US and Bahraini air defence forces,” CENTCOM stated.
CENTCOM also noted that its forces intercepted three one-way combat drones launched by Iran towards civilian sailors traversing regional waters.
Meanwhile, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that its Air Force had launched missile attacks targeting US military bases in Kuwait, in response to what it described as a violation of Iranian sovereignty on Qeshm Island. The IRGC maintained that its strikes against US bases in Kuwait were a direct reaction to Washington’s military actions against southern Iran’s Qeshm Island. The IRGC warned that any further attacks against Iran would be met with a “firm” response.