ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Thursday it launched a joint missile and drone operation targeting US military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, describing the strikes as retaliation for the US attacks on southern Iran earlier the same day.
"The US army's aggression will not go unanswered," the IRGC said in a statement shared by state media, warning that "if the aggression is repeated, our crushing response will expand to other US bases across the region."
The escalation follows a high-intensity exchange between the US and Iran forces in the Strait of Hormuz in the past few days. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said earlier in a statement that its forces "struck approximately 90 Iranian military targets including air defense systems, coastal surveillance assets, missile and drone storage sites, naval capabilities, and military logistics infrastructure along Iran’s coastline. The latest strikes follow successful execution of offensive strikes in Iran the night before."
The IRGC said its naval and aerospace forces struck what it described as "important infrastructure and facilities" at the US bases of Arifjan and Ali Al Salem in Kuwait as well as Juffair and Sheikh Isa in Bahrain, describing the operation as the “first wave” of its response to Washington’s latest attacks on Iran.
According to Iranian state media, the US strikes killed eight members of Iran's air and naval forces in the southern port cities of Bandar Abbas and Bushehr. Tehran also said American attacks targeted military installations and civilian facilities in Hormozgan province and the southwestern city of Mahshahr.
US President Trump on Wednesday accused Iranian officials of misrepresenting the terms of the Pakistan-brokered Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) toward a permanent ceasefire to end the conflict that began in late February.
He told reporters at the NATO Summit in Ankara that he considers the ceasefire "over" and signaled additional military action.
"We hit them very hard last night, very, very hard, and we'll probably hit them hard again tonight," Trump stated.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected Trump's remarks, saying Iran would respond to military pressure "with action."
The renewed hostilities have further undermined diplomatic efforts led by regional mediators, with uncertainty growing over whether planned negotiations between Washington and Tehran will resume.
