Key facts
- Iran's army spokesperson warned the country would bomb its own territory to prevent US occupation.
- US strikes against Iranian targets have continued for ten consecutive days.
- Iranian MPs have discussed capturing US soldiers and launching ground attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain.
- The Pentagon is preparing options for ground operations in Iran.
- Kuwait hosts US forces and has been a target of Iranian strikes.
- An incident involving IRGC troops on Kuwait's Bubiyan Island in May has heightened tensions.
Iran's military has issued a stark warning, stating the country would bomb its own territory rather than allow it to be occupied by US forces. This declaration comes amid escalating tensions and fears of a broader conflict across the Persian Gulf, with US strikes against Iranian targets entering their tenth consecutive day.
Iranian Members of Parliament have openly discussed aggressive responses, including capturing American soldiers and launching ground attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain, should the US invade Iranian territory. Former Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki advocated for seizing US bases and personnel in the region. MP Ahmad Bakhshayesh Ardestani specifically suggested targeting Kuwait and Bahrain, while acknowledging that any US attempt to seize Kharg Island would be temporary and invite Iranian missile strikes.
Speculation has also intensified around a potential Iranian move against Kuwait's Bubiyan Island, its largest, located near Iraq. Some Iranian political figures and social media accounts have considered this scenario as a response to a possible US seizure of Kharg Island, suggesting the IRGC's Saberin special forces unit could be involved. Reports of Iranian military movements near the Kuwaiti border have circulated, though they remain unverified. Kuwait, which hosts US forces, has been among the countries targeted in recent Iranian strikes.
Further fueling tensions, Kuwaiti authorities reported in May that IRGC members landed on Bubiyan Island with hostile intent, though Iran's foreign ministry disputed this, citing navigation system failure. President Trump has issued strong warnings, stating that Iran would face severe repercussions for any killings of American soldiers and has previously indicated that while Kharg Island's military assets were struck, its oil infrastructure was spared, a decision he might reconsider.