Iran Says It Targeted Bahrain, Kuwait After U.S. Strikes

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Iran claimed Friday that it had carried out coordinated drone operations against Bahrain and Kuwait in response to recent U.S. military strikes, while Kuwaiti authorities said their air defenses intercepted dozens of incoming drones, underscoring the growing risk that the confrontation between Washington and Tehran is spreading across the Gulf.

According to statements from the Iranian military, the operations formed successive phases of what Tehran calls "Operation Saeqeh," with Arash explosive-laden drones allegedly directed at the Sakhir Air Base in Bahrain before additional drones were launched toward U.S. troop deployments and logistical facilities in Kuwait.

Iranian officials described the attacks as retaliation for what they called U.S. strikes on civilian infrastructure inside Iran, while warning that further military pressure would provoke additional responses.

The latest developments point to an increasingly regional security crisis rather than a conflict confined to direct exchanges between the United States and Iran.

Qatar's Ministry of Defense separately announced that it intercepted incoming missiles over its territory, while Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported explosions heard across the country.

Air raid sirens, heightened alert levels and emergency shelter advisories across multiple Gulf states illustrated how the expanding confrontation is placing neighboring countries on the front line of a broader regional security challenge.

Bahrain had not immediately confirmed Iran's claims regarding the reported strike on Sakhir Air Base.

Tehran asserted that the installation, which hosts U.S. military assets, was targeted using Arash drones aimed at aircraft facilities, including helicopter and maritime reconnaissance infrastructure. Those claims could not be independently verified.

Iranian military officials said the operation was intended as a direct response to recent American attacks, maintaining that Iran would continue to defend what it described as its national security interests. The statements warned Washington and its regional partners against further military escalation.

Kuwait, meanwhile, acknowledged a major aerial security incident but presented a different account of events.

Saud Abdulaziz Atwan, spokesperson for Kuwait's Ministry of Defense, said the country's armed forces detected and intercepted 32 hostile drones after they entered Kuwaiti airspace.

According to the ministry, the drones were destroyed before reaching their intended objectives, which officials said included strategic national facilities.

Authorities reported that falling debris caused material damage in several residential areas, but no civilian casualties were recorded. Kuwait said its armed forces remain at the highest level of readiness to safeguard national sovereignty and protect residents.

The reported attacks unfolded as the United States intensified its own military campaign against Iran.

Earlier Friday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that American forces had completed a sixth consecutive night of strikes targeting Iranian military infrastructure.

CENTCOM said fighter aircraft, unmanned aerial systems and naval forces struck dozens of military objectives, including air defense positions, coastal surveillance sites, logistics facilities and maritime assets.

The command stated that the campaign is intended to further reduce Iran's military capabilities while responding to attacks on commercial shipping. It also noted that more than 50,000 U.S. personnel remain deployed across the Middle East.

Alongside the air campaign, U.S. naval forces have continued maritime enforcement operations in the Gulf of Oman.

According to CENTCOM, American forces recently conducted a verification boarding of a commercial vessel while redirecting, boarding or stopping ships that attempted to circumvent Washington's blockade measures, reflecting a broader effort to tighten maritime security around Iranian waters.

The latest escalation follows earlier U.S. strikes on transportation infrastructure across southern Iran, including reported attacks on bridges, airport facilities and other strategic locations.

Washington has said those operations are designed to limit Iran's military capabilities and increase pressure around the Strait of Hormuz, while Iranian officials have warned that additional attacks on national infrastructure could trigger broader regional responses.

Authorities in Iran's Hormozgan Province have also reported extensive damage to six strategic bridges and imposed road closures and emergency restrictions following successive strikes, describing the attacks as evidence of mounting pressure on the country's critical infrastructure.

As reciprocal military operations continue, the widening geographic scope of the conflict suggests that Gulf states are increasingly confronting the consequences of a crisis that now extends well beyond the original U.S.-Iran battlefield.