Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC) announced on July 8 that it had targeted dozens of US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait in retaliation for recent American strikes. The statement, carried by Iran's state broadcaster IRIB, detailed a joint missile and drone operation by the IRGC's navy and aerospace forces that struck "85 key US military facilities" in the two Gulf countries and also shot down an MQ-9 drone.

These Iranian actions followed US strikes on Iran launched on July 7, which were in response to attacks on three commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. US Central Command reported that more than 80 targets in Iran were hit during these operations. The US described the strikes as "powerful" and intended to impose "heavy costs for targeting and attacking commercial shipping."

In the aftermath of the Iranian strikes, Kuwait's army stated on social media platform X that it was responding to missile and drone attacks but did not specify their origin. Meanwhile, Bahrain's interior ministry activated air sirens and urged residents to seek the nearest safe locations.

This escalation highlights ongoing tensions in the region surrounding the vital Strait of Hormuz waterway.

Sources