TEHRAN – Iran has claimed to have launched missile and drone attacks against several American military facilities across the Gulf region in response to recent US military strikes.
According to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), operations targeted military installations including Ali Al Salem and Ahmad Al Jaber air bases in Kuwait, as well as Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain.
Iranian officials described the attacks as retaliation for American actions and said the first phase of a missile and drone campaign had been completed.
Iranian state media also reported that Iranian forces carried out a drone strike against the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain. Officials said the operation was conducted in response to U.S. attacks in southern Iran.
The IRGC further stated that a missile was fired at an F-16 aircraft that had entered the airspace over the Persian Gulf. According to reports citing Iranian sources, the aircraft was forced to withdraw after the missile launch.
Iranian military officials warned that if the United States sought to make the Strait of Hormuz unsafe, Tehran would respond across the region. Iran’s senior joint military command announced restrictions on maritime traffic through the strategic waterway, stating that vessels attempting to pass could be targeted. The reported measures were said to include both oil tankers and commercial ships. Iranian media also claimed that two vessels had been struck for violating the restrictions.
Meanwhile, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said American forces had completed what it described as self-defense strikes inside Iran.
According to CENTCOM, the operations targeted Iranian communication systems, air defense sites, surveillance capabilities, and military infrastructure. The US military said the strikes were carried out in response to threats against American forces and commercial shipping. CENTCOM also stated that no U.S. warship had been attacked in the Strait of Hormuz and that commercial maritime traffic through the waterway remained active.
Separately, a US news website reported that President Donald Trump had become increasingly frustrated over the lack of an Iranian response to American proposals. Citing two senior U.S. officials, the report said that growing dissatisfaction in Washington, combined with the reported downing of an Apache helicopter, contributed to the decision to authorize new military action against Iran.
