Key facts
- Iran claimed to have fired ballistic missiles and drones at U.S. military bases in Kuwait.
- Explosions were reported in Kuwait and heard in southern Iraq.
- Iran claimed to have destroyed U.S. High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) batteries.
- U.S. Central Command denied any U.S. service member casualties.
- The Kuwaiti army confirmed confronting hostile targets and imposed restrictions on publishing images of affected areas.
- Qatar's defense ministry reported intercepting aerial attacks.
- Bahrain activated sirens.
Iran has claimed responsibility for a series of explosions in Kuwait, alleging that ballistic missiles and drones were fired at U.S. military bases in the country. The incidents, reported by Iran's Fars news agency and corroborated by other Iranian outlets, led to audible blasts in Kuwait and as far as Basra in southern Iraq. Smoke was observed rising from a Kuwaiti port.
According to reports, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed to have destroyed American High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) batteries. However, Fars news agency later attributed the strike to Iranian drones, creating a discrepancy in the reported method of attack. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has officially denied any U.S. service member casualties, stating all personnel are accounted for.
Iranian officials, including a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, blamed the U.S. military presence in the region for the strikes, demanding that Gulf nations cease allowing their territories to be used as launchpads against Iran. The IRGC characterized the operation as a retaliatory measure targeting logistical support centers for U.S. naval vessels and indicated that its operations are ongoing.
Qatar's defence ministry indicated that it is intercepting a number of aerial attacks, after several reports of blasts heard in the capital of Doha. Meanwhile, sirens have been activated in Bahrain for a second time on Friday. The Kuwaiti army issued a statement confirming that its defense forces were confronting hostile targets in the airspace, with warning sirens sounding across various areas. Severe restrictions have been imposed on citizens and residents, including a ban on publishing images or videos of the affected areas and a request to avoid the sites of the incidents. Official confirmation of the exact damage or perpetrators from Kuwaiti and American officials remains limited due to these restrictions.