Iran said it struck US military bases in the Gulf in response to overnight US strikes, prompting renewed alerts in the region. Kuwait reported its air defences were active, while Bahrain's Interior Ministry urged residents to seek safe locations. The IRGC claimed a drone strike on the US Navy's Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain and an attack on a base in Jordan, but those claims could not be independently verified. Authorities say the situation is developing and more details are expected.
Tensions Escalate: Kuwait Activates Air Defences As Bahrain Sirens Sound After Iran Claims Attacks On US Bases
FILE PHOTO - A general view of the Manama skyline. (is associated with: «Air raid sirens sound in Bahrain as residents urged to seek shelter») Cindy Riechau/dpa
Kuwait reported renewed hostilities early on Wednesday as its military said air defences were active, and air-raid sirens sounded across Bahrain after Iran announced it had targeted US military bases in the Gulf. Iran said the strikes were in retaliation for overnight US strikes, though independent verification of Iran's claims was not available.
Kuwait's military posted on X that air defences were operating but initially gave no further details. In Bahrain, the Interior Ministry used X to urge residents to move to safe locations and remain calm, without immediately providing additional information.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said, according to Iranian state media, that it had carried out a drone strike on the headquarters of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet in Bahrain and had also struck a base in Jordan.
At the time of the report, the IRGC account could not be independently verified. Regional tensions have surged in recent days, with several Gulf states hosting US forces and located only a few hundred kilometres from Iran.
Officials in Kuwait and Bahrain have not publicly confirmed casualties or damage. The situation remains fluid and governments and militaries in the region are providing updates as they become available.
Context: Bahrain and Kuwait, like other Gulf states, host significant US military facilities. Any reported strikes near those bases heighten the risk of wider escalation; independent confirmation and further information are awaited.
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