The U.S. military said Thursday Iran launched a ballistic missile toward Kuwait overnight, further straining the already weakened ceasefire agreement as negotiations continue.
U.S. Central Command, which oversees American military operations in the Middle East, wrote on social media that Kuwaiti forces successfully intercepted the attack but called the incident an “egregious ceasefire violation” and vowed to defend allied partners.
“U.S. Central Command and regional partners remain vigilant and measured as we continue to defend our forces and interests from unjustified Iranian aggression,” CENTCOM wrote on X.
Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement condemning the Iranian attacks as a “dangerous escalation” in the already deadly conflict.
The United Arab Emirates and Qatar both issued statements blaming Iran for the strikes, calling the attacks blatant violations of Kuwait’s sovereignty and international law.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement Thursday that it launched strikes on an unnamed U.S. base in the region in retaliation for strikes targeting its drone facilities.
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The statement, carried by Iranian state media, did not clarify the name of the base or its location. The U.S. operates 19 bases in the Middle East, with a military footprint of over 40,000.
However, the Kuwait Army said earlier Thursday that its air defenses were actively engaging with drones and missiles but did not clarify their origin or how many there were. The U.S. operates several military bases in Kuwait, including the Ali Al Salem Air Base, a major Air Force hub.
The attacks were an apparent response to U.S. strikes on Iranian drone sites in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas earlier on Thursday, marking the second round of American air strikes this week.
CENTCOM said U.S. forces knocked down five Iranian drones that posed a threat to vessels in the Strait of Hormuz early Thursday. The U.S. military also attacked a drone ground control facility in Bandar Abbas to prevent Iran from launching more strikes, according to CENTCOM.
Both the U.S. strikes and Iran’s retaliation put further stress on an already fragile ceasefire between the two countries. Over the past month, U.S. naval forces have intercepted and struck Iranian vessels in regional waters as part of an ongoing blockade, while Iran has launched further missile and drone attacks on Gulf states and commercial vessels near the Strait of Hormuz.
