TEHRAN – Middle East witnessed a fresh surge in tensions after Iran launched missile and drone strikes on US military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait, in retaliation for recent American airstrikes.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) conducted missile and drone operation targeting 85 locations, including key American military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait. IRGC said its naval and aerospace forces carried out a coordinated strike against multiple strategic targets. Among the locations it claimed to have hit were the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet Headquarters in Bahrain and Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait.
Iran has carried out a limited retaliation for U.S. strikes.
⭕️ IRGC statement:
"In a coordinated missile and drone operation, the IRGC's naval and aerospace forces targeted 85 critical U.S. military positions, including:
• Mina Salman Port and the U.S. 5th Fleet base in… pic.twitter.com/JwYrzjuHJS— Mohsin Ali (@Mohsin_o2) July 8, 2026
Iran said the operation was launched in retaliation for what it described as U.S. violations of a ceasefire and the Islamabad Agreement. According to the Iranian military, American forces had earlier carried out airstrikes on coastal and civilian areas in Hormozgan Province and Mahshahr, prompting what Tehran called a “necessary and initial response.”
Iranin officials said latest strikes show only beginning of its response, declaring that Iran “reserves the right to respond decisively” to any action it views as a threat to its sovereignty or national security.
The statement also accused US of carrying out airstrikes during the funeral ceremonies of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, alleging that Washington sought to diminish the significance of the historic occasion. Iranian officials insisted that such actions would not weaken the resolve of the country’s armed forces or its people.
Despite dramatic claims, there has been no immediate official confirmation or response from the United States, Bahrain, or Kuwait. Independent sources have not yet verified the reported attacks, and there are no confirmed details regarding the extent of any damage or possible casualties.
Security analysts warn that if Iran’s claims are verified, the strikes could represent a major turning point in the ongoing confrontation between Tehran and Washington, significantly raising the risk of a broader regional conflict across the Gulf and placing U.S. military assets and allied states on heightened alert.
US and Iran exchange fresh strikes over attacks in Strait of Hormuz
