Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has announced that it targeted an American air base in the region in retaliation for fresh U.S. strikes on southern Iran overnight. Kuwait, which hosts a United States base, reported intercepting “hostile missile and drone threats” but did not confirm the specific target.
Escalation in Hostilities
The Iranian missile launch followed the United States shooting down Iranian drones over the Strait of Hormuz and striking a military site in Bandar Abbas, a strategic port city in southern Iran. This marks the second time in three days that the United States has attacked targets in Iran, with both operations described as acts of self-defense. The renewed hostilities now threaten a fragile ceasefire agreement between Washington and Tehran.
IRGC Statement
The IRGC stated that the attack on the United States air base occurred in the early hours of Thursday morning and targeted “the source” of earlier American strikes on Iran, according to state broadcaster IRIB. United States Central Command (Centcom) condemned Iran's attack on Kuwait as an “egregious ceasefire violation,” noting that it took place “hours after Iranian forces launched five one-way attack drones that posed a clear threat in and near the Strait of Hormuz.”
US Response
Centcom confirmed that all five drones were intercepted, and a sixth drone launched from an Iranian ground control site in Bandar Abbas was also neutralized. The command described its actions as “measured, purely defensive, and intended to maintain the ceasefire.”
Iranian Condemnation
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baqai condemned the US strikes, calling them a violation of the ceasefire. He added that the Islamic republic would “take all necessary measures to defend its national sovereignty,” as quoted by IRIB.
Kuwait's Reaction
Kuwait’s foreign affairs ministry strongly condemned what it termed “criminal Iranian attacks that targeted” its territory. Earlier this week, the United States confirmed a previous round of “self-defense” strikes on southern Iran on Monday, targeting Iranian missile sites and boats attempting to lay mines in the Strait, where thousands of commercial tanker ships remain stranded due to the conflict.
