Key facts
- Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed to target U.S. military positions in the region.
- The IRGC stated their actions were in response to a U.S. strike against Iran.
- The IRGC cited the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding regarding the Strait of Hormuz.
- Iran fired ballistic missiles and drones at Bahrain and Kuwait, with U.S. forces intercepting most.
- The U.S. military stated its strikes on Iranian radar sites were defensive.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced it targeted U.S. military positions in the region, stating the action was a response to a recent U.S. strike against Iran and an alleged early morning American attack near Bandar Abbas airport. The IRGC did not specify the locations of the U.S. positions hit.
According to additional reports, the IRGC claimed on Thursday to have targeted a U.S. airbase at 0450 local time. A U.S. official told Reuters that the U.S. military conducted overnight strikes inside Iran targeting a military site perceived as a threat to U.S. forces and maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. forces also intercepted multiple Iranian drones.
Separately, Iran's Tasnim news agency reported that the IRGC navy fired on a U.S. tanker that allegedly attempted to pass through the Strait of Hormuz with its radar system turned off. Tasnim added that U.S. forces responded by firing near Bandar Abbas, causing no casualties or property damage.
Bahrain and Kuwait stated that Iran fired ballistic missiles and drones at them hours after the U.S. and Iran exchanged strikes. Kuwait's military confirmed intercepting drones and missiles. The IRGC claimed to be targeting the Ali al-Salem airbase in Bahrain, where the U.S. Navy's 5th fleet is located. U.S. Central Command (Centcom) stated that Iranian attack drones posed an immediate threat to regional maritime traffic and that strikes on Iranian radar installations were defensive. Centcom reported that Iran fired seven ballistic missiles toward Kuwait and Bahrain, with six being intercepted.