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Iran launched seven ballistic missiles toward Kuwait and Bahrain on Saturday after U.S. forces struck Iranian radar facilities following drone interceptions near the Strait of Hormuz, in the latest escalation between the two sides, according to the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).
CENTCOM said six of the missiles were intercepted and a seventh failed to reach its intended target, adding that there were no reports of injuries to U.S. personnel.
The missile launches came hours after U.S. forces shot down four Iranian one-way attack drones heading toward the Strait of Hormuz, which CENTCOM said posed an immediate threat to maritime traffic.
U.S. forces later struck Iranian coastal surveillance radar sites in Goruk and on Qeshm Island, saying the action was intended to prevent further attacks at sea. "American forces remain vigilant and postured to respond to unjustified Iranian aggression in self-defense," the command said.
CENTCOM also pushed back against Iranian claims that attacks had damaged the headquarters of the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, calling the allegations false.
Meanwhile, Kuwait's armed forces said its air defense systems were responding to hostile missile and drone attacks, adding that sounds of explosions reported in the country were the result of interception operations.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it struck what it called "enemy bases" in Kuwait and Bahrain after American drone attacks on sites inside Iranian territory, according to the semi-official Tasnim News Agency.
The IRGC's Aerospace Force said it targeted Kuwait's Ali al-Salem Air Base and facilities associated with the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet in Bahrain with ballistic missiles. Iranian officials said the attacks were retaliation for strikes on a telecommunications tower on Qeshm Island and another tower in Sirik.
The IRGC also warned that additional military action could prompt a wider response, including the complete closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil and gas shipments.
The latest exchange adds to months of heightened tensions involving the United States, Israel and Iran. Although a ceasefire remains in place, negotiations aimed at extending the truce and reaching a broader agreement continue.
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