Iran Says It Targeted 85 US Military Sites After American Strikes
Tehran says its retaliatory operation followed US attacks on more than 80 military targets inside Iran, while Kuwait confirmed it was responding to missile and drone attacks
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - The military confrontation between Iran and the United States escalated sharply on Wednesday after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced it had launched a large-scale missile and drone operation against 85 US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait, describing the strikes as an initial response to recent American attacks on Iranian territory.
In a statement carried by Iran's state broadcaster, the IRGC said its Navy and Aerospace Force jointly targeted 85 key US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait.
The statement said the operation was launched in response to what Tehran described as American aggression and added that Iranian forces had also shot down a US MQ-9 drone.
The announcement came only hours after the US military confirmed it had carried out a wave of strikes against more than 80 military targets inside Iran.
According to US Central Command (CENTCOM), American forces struck Iranian air defense systems, command and control networks, coastal radar sites, anti-ship missile capabilities, and more than 60 small boats belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in and around the Strait of Hormuz.
Washington said the operation was conducted in response to Iranian attacks on three commercial ships in international waters in the Strait of Hormuz, describing the strikes as an effort to weaken Iran's ability to threaten maritime security.
Iran's Foreign Ministry also issued a strongly worded warning, saying Tehran would take decisive measures against the United States to safeguard its national security.
Iranian media further claimed that Iranian forces had downed a US MQ-9 drone over southern Iran and had launched missile attacks against several US warships.
As the regional confrontation intensified, the Kuwaiti army announced that its air defense systems were actively responding to incoming missile and drone attacks.
In a statement posted on X, the army said, "Kuwaiti air defenses are currently engaging hostile missile and drone attacks," adding that any explosions heard were the result of air defense systems intercepting hostile projectiles.
The military did not specify where the attacks originated.
Several explosions were also reported across Bahrain after authorities activated air raid sirens warning of an incoming attack.
An AFP correspondent reported hearing loud explosions in the northern part of the island kingdom, marking the first such incident since Bahrain announced it had intercepted Iranian drones and missiles on June 28.