The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran has announced its attack on an American air base in the region, following recent US airstrikes in southern Iran.
While the IRGC did not disclose the location of the base, Kuwait, which hosts a US military installation, reported that it had intercepted “hostile missile and drone threats.”
According to the US military, Iran launched a ballistic missile towards Kuwait, which was successfully intercepted by Kuwaiti forces.
However, it was not confirmed whether the missile was aimed directly at the US base.
This missile launch by Iran followed the US’s downing of Iranian drones over the Strait of Hormuz and a strike on a military facility in Bandar Abbas, a key port city in southern Iran.
The renewed hostilities jeopardize an already fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran.
This marks the second instance in three days that the US has targeted locations in Iran, asserting that these actions were taken in self-defense.
The IRGC stated that their attack on the US air base occurred early Thursday morning and was aimed at the site deemed “the source” of previous US strikes on Iran, as reported by state broadcaster IRIB.
US Central Command (Centcom) characterized Iran’s missile attack on Kuwait as an “egregious ceasefire violation,” which took place “hours after Iranian forces launched five one-way attack drones posing a significant threat in and around the Strait of Hormuz.”
Centcom confirmed that all drones were intercepted, including a sixth drone launched from an Iranian ground control site in Bandar Abbas.
Centcom described its operations as “measured, purely defensive, and aimed at maintaining the ceasefire.”
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry, spokesman Esmail Baqai, condemned the US strikes as violations of the ceasefire agreement.
He asserted that Iran would take all necessary actions to defend its national sovereignty, as cited by IRIB.
Kuwait’s Foreign Affairs Ministry expressed strong condemnation of what it termed “criminal Iranian attacks targeting” its territory.
Earlier this week, the US confirmed a previous round of “self-defense” strikes on southern Iran that targeted Iranian missile sites and vessels attempting to lay mines in the Strait, where thousands of commercial tanker ships are currently stranded due to the ongoing conflict.
Centcom stated that those strikes were intended “to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces.”
Additionally, the US imposed sanctions on the “Persian Gulf Strait Authority,” the Iranian entity responsible for collecting fees from ships traversing the Strait of Hormuz.
The US Treasury Department warned that any vessels paying this authority could also face sanctions.
The shipping channel typically sees one-fifth of the world’s liquefied natural gas and oil pass through it, and its closure has significantly impacted global fuel trade.
Baqai stated on Monday that Tehran is collecting fees for “navigational services” and will continue managing traffic in the waterway.
US Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, described this situation as the “Iranian military’s latest attempt to extort global maritime trade” and indicated that it reflects Iran’s “desperation for cash.”
The IRGC further claimed on Tuesday that it had downed a US drone and engaged with a fighter jet and another drone that entered Iranian airspace, although specific details regarding these incidents were not provided.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong