U.S. Conducts Airstrikes on Iranian Military Sites After Tanker Drone Attack
U.S. Central Command said American aircraft hit Iranian surveillance, communication and air-defense facilities in response to a drone strike on a commercial tanker, prompting retaliatory attacks on U.S. bases in Kuwait and Bahrain.
U.S. Central Command announced that American warplanes struck Iranian surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air-defense sites, drone storage facilities and minelayer capabilities on Saturday, citing a drone attack on the Panama-flagged tanker Kiku near the Strait of Hormuz earlier that morning. The strikes were ordered by President Trump, who said the targets violated the cease-fire agreement reached earlier this month.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) responded by saying it hit U.S. military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain, describing the American forces as a “terrorist army.” The IRGC also warned that further U.S. attacks could halt ongoing negotiations.
The incident follows a series of confrontations in the region, including a drone attack on the Singapore-flagged cargo ship Ever Lovely and accusations from Bahrain that Iran targeted it with drones. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre reported a separate attack on a commercial vessel near Oman.
No immediate damage was reported from the U.S. strikes, but regional governments, including Egypt and Kuwait, condemned the escalation. The United Nations maritime agency paused efforts to move stranded vessels through an alternative Omani route pending assurances of safety.
Vice President JD Vance urged Iran to communicate concerns over the cease-fire, stating that “violence will be met with violence.” Iranian parliamentary security chief Ebrahim Azizi countered that the Strait of Hormuz remains under Iranian jurisdiction and framed the U.S. actions as “cease-fire management” rather than a breach.
