Iran’s IRGC Claims Missile and Drone Strikes on US Military Bases in Kuwait and Bahrain amid Strait of Hormuz Tensions
Middle East maritime security concerns intensified on Sunday after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that it had launched ballistic missile and drone attacks targeting US military facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain, describing the operation as retaliation for recent US strikes on Iranian coastal positions.
According to a statement released by the IRGC through its official Sepah News outlet, the coordinated operation involved both the navy and aerospace forces, targeting what it described as eight key US military infrastructure facilities, including Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait and the US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain.
The IRGC said the action came in response to US attacks on five Iranian coastal posts earlier on Sunday. According to the statement, the United States carried out those strikes under the pretext of responding to the IRGC Navy’s confrontation with what it described as a violating ship.
The statement also warned that vessels attempting unauthorized passage through the Strait of Hormuz would face stronger action than before. The IRGC added that any future military aggression under any justification would receive what it called a “crushing response.”
Iran further stated that violating the ceasefire would breach the recently signed peace Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Iran and the United States aimed at ending the conflict. According to the IRGC, such violations would halt all ongoing diplomatic processes. The statement also asserted that, under the agreement, Iran is responsible for managing maritime traffic through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
Kuwait strongly condemned what it described as repeated Iranian attacks on its territory. In a statement posted on X, Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the latest strike a “flagrant violation” of the country’s sovereignty, warning that it threatened national security, regional stability, and the safety of citizens and residents.
Meanwhile, Bahrain’s Interior Ministry reported that an Iranian attack damaged a residential building in Muharraq Governorate. Authorities confirmed that no casualties were reported and that emergency measures were immediately initiated at the affected location.
Iranian media also reported several explosions in the southern province of Hormozgan and on Qeshm Island during the early hours of Sunday.
Separately, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on X that American forces had conducted additional strikes against multiple targets inside Iran. CENTCOM stated that the operations were launched in response to an earlier Iranian drone attack targeting a Panama-flagged tanker transiting near the Strait of Hormuz.
According to CENTCOM, the strikes were intended as a direct response to what it described as continued Iranian aggression against commercial shipping. The US military said its aircraft targeted Iranian military surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defense sites, drone storage facilities, and minelayer capabilities.
The latest escalation follows similar clashes reported on Saturday, when CENTCOM announced airstrikes against Iran’s southern coastal areas. Iran responded by stating that IRGC naval forces had carried out retaliatory attacks against US military positions across West Asia.
On June 18, Iran and the United States signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at ending the regional conflict, including hostilities in Lebanon. Negotiations between both countries toward a final agreement remain ongoing.
The developments have renewed concerns over maritime security in the Gulf region, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical shipping corridors for oil exports, commercial vessels, tanker operations, and global maritime trade.
