Hours after United States President Donald Trump’s stronger military action warning, Iran on Sunday launched missile and drone strikes at US military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said its navy and aerospace forces jointly carried out the attacks in response to recent US military strikes on Iranian territory. According to the IRGC, the operation targeted American military installations after Washington struck missile and drone storage facilities as well as coastal radar sites in Iran.
Kuwait’s military confirmed that its air defence systems intercepted what it described as hostile missiles and drones. However, there was no immediate confirmation from US authorities regarding casualties or damage at the targeted bases.
In its statement, the IRGC Navy said that US strikes on Sirik would not affect Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz. The force also warned that American military bases across the region would experience hell in the coming days. “Any future action against what it termed “violators” would reinforce safe navigation rules in the strategic waterway”, the IRGC said.
The IRGC also accused the United States of violating the ceasefire and claimed any breach of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding would halt ongoing diplomatic efforts. It further warned that any enemy aggression would receive what it described as a crushing response.
The latest exchange came hours after the United States carried out another round of military strikes against Iranian targets following an attack on the Panama-flagged oil tanker M/T Kiku near the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), the operation was ordered by President Donald Trump after Iran allegedly violated the ceasefire. The US military claimed a one-way attack drone struck the tanker, which was transporting more than two million barrels of crude oil through the strategically important waterway.
Iranian media also reported explosions in southern Iran, including blasts on Sirik Island near the Strait of Hormuz. Reports further claimed that US projectiles struck a village on Qeshm Island.
Reacting to the latest developments, US President Donald Trump warned that Washington could intensify its military response if Iran continued to violate the ceasefire agreement. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said US aircraft had targeted Iranian missile and drone storage facilities and coastal radar sites after what he described as repeated ceasefire violations. He further warned that if the United States was forced to escalate its military campaign, the Islamic Republic of Iran “will no longer exist.”
The latest military action marked the second consecutive day of US strikes linked to attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. The fresh exchange of attacks has significantly heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran, raising concerns over the future of the ceasefire reached just two weeks ago.