Key Takeaways
- Iran’s Revolutionary Guards targeted US military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait.
- The attacks came in response to US strikes on Iran following tanker attacks in the Strait of Hormuz.
- No civilian deaths were reported in Iran, but several people were injured.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed responsibility for targeting key US military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait after a series of US military strikes. The attacks, which included missile and drone operations, hit Bandar Salman in Bahrain’s Fifth Naval District and Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait.
Air raid sirens sounded in both countries as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps shot down an American MQ-9 drone attempting to interfere with their operation. The Kuwaiti army reported confronting hostile missile and drone attacks.
The US Central Command stated that more than 60 small boats of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were among the targets hit, emphasizing that the strikes aimed to impose a heavy cost on Iran for violating the ceasefire by attacking shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte expressed support for the US actions, stating they were 'absolutely necessary' given the violation of the ceasefire. He added: ‘The unwarranted aggression by Iranian forces is a clear and dangerous violation of the ceasefire and undermines freedom of navigation.’
Iran’s top joint military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, condemned the US strikes as a 'blatant act of aggression' and threatened a 'crushing response.' Parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf accused the US of breaching the ceasefire agreement, citing renewed oil sanctions and Israeli attacks against Lebanon.
Iranian media reported explosions in its main oil hub of Kharg Island, on Qeshm Island, and in southern port cities Sirik and Bandar Abbas. An Iranian state TV reporter noted several blasts were heard in southern Kharg Island, from which Iran exports 90% of its crude oil.
A US official told Reuters that the strikes targeted Iranian air defence systems, coastal surveillance systems, surface-to-air missiles, anti-ship cruise missiles, and drone launch sites. No civilian deaths were reported in Iran, but several people were injured by shrapnel from an 'enemy projectile' that hit a commercial pier in Sirik.
The incident has escalated tensions between the US and Iran, with both sides accusing each other of breaching agreements and engaging in aggressive actions.
