Iran launches missile and drone strikes on US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain after American attacks

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps confirmed on Sunday that it fired ballistic missiles and drones at the U.S. Ali Al Salem airbase in Kuwait and the U.S. Fifth Naval Fleet at Port Salman in Bahrain. The attacks came hours after U.S. Central Command said its forces struck ten Iranian military sites in and near the Strait of Hormuz in response to an Iranian drone strike on the Panama-flagged Kiku oil tanker.

Bahrain denounced the Iranian strikes as a violation of its sovereignty that undermines regional de-escalation, while Kuwait described the actions as a "flagrant violation" of its own sovereignty. Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Oman also condemned the attacks, calling them dangerous escalations and breaches of international law.

The U.S. strikes targeted Iranian facilities on Sirik, Bandar-e Lengeh and Qeshm Island, which the United States said were retaliation for a drone attack on the Kiku tanker that was carrying more than two million barrels of crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz. The tanker sustained bridge damage but all crew members were reported safe.

Iran's foreign ministry labeled the U.S. attacks on its monitoring and surveillance installations as "brutal" and a breach of the June 17 memorandum of understanding (MoU) that extended a cease-fire between the two countries. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that the Strait of Hormuz would remain under Iranian oversight for the next 30 days and urged all parties to honor the MoU to avoid further escalation.

Defense analyst Wolfgang Pusztai cautioned that while neither side seeks a broader conflict, unintended incidents—such as strikes on civilian areas or severe damage to U.S. bases—could quickly widen the confrontation.