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U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced Tuesday it intercepted multiple Iranian missiles and drones launched toward regional targets, rejecting Tehran's claim that attacks struck American bases in Kuwait and Bahrain.
In a statement, CENTCOM said American and partner forces defeated a barrage of ballistic missiles and drones and carried out self-defense strikes on an Iranian military ground control station on Qeshm Island. No U.S. personnel were harmed, according to the command.
Iran launched several ballistic missiles toward neighboring countries, but none reached their targets, CENTCOM reported.
Two missiles fired toward Kuwait either fell short or broke apart during flight, while three missiles launched at Bahrain were intercepted by U.S. and Bahraini air defense systems.
CENTCOM also reported shooting down three one-way attack drones launched toward civilian vessels transiting regional waters.
Later, the command said another wave of Iranian drones targeting U.S. forces in Kuwait failed to hit its intended targets after being intercepted by air defenses.
The developments came after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced missile and drone attacks against U.S. military positions in the region, including the U.S. Fifth Fleet.
CENTCOM rejected the claim that Iranian forces struck the Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain or a U.S. air base elsewhere in the region.
"All Iranian attacks on American forces failed. U.S. forces remain vigilant and ready to defend against unwarranted Iranian aggression," the command stated.
The IRGC stated that the attacks were launched in response to U.S. strikes near the Strait of Hormuz and on Qeshm Island in southern Iran, after state broadcaster IRIB reported explosions near the areas of Suza and Masen on the island.
The Iranian military also reported that an oil tanker near the Strait of Hormuz was hit late Tuesday, confirming an earlier CENTCOM statement that U.S. forces disabled a vessel in the area after its crew repeatedly ignored warnings not to proceed toward an Iranian port.
The IRGC further alleged that U.S. forces targeted one of its communications towers south of Qeshm Island. It said Iran's Aerospace Force subsequently carried out missile and drone attacks against U.S. military positions in the region.
The IRGC warned that any further attack on Iran would trigger a "decisive" response. Separately, the IRGC's naval forces targeted the Panama-flagged vessel Panaya with missiles in retaliation for the U.S. strike on the Iranian oil tanker, according to Iran's semi-official Tasnim News Agency.
The exchange marked the latest flare-up in a broader confrontation between Iran, the U.S. and Israel. A Pakistan-brokered ceasefire took effect on April 8, but efforts to secure a wider agreement have so far failed.
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