Iran claims it attacked military facilities in Kuwait and the UAE as regional governments report intercepting missiles and drones aimed at countries hosting American forces.
KUWAIT CITY — Iran launched missiles and drones toward Kuwait early Thursday, extending a wave of retaliatory attacks against countries hosting American military forces as the conflict between Tehran and Washington intensifies once again.
Air-raid sirens sounded across Kuwait while the country’s air defenses engaged incoming weapons. Kuwait’s Defense Ministry described the barrage as Iranian aggression and said explosions heard by residents were connected to interception operations.
No casualties or confirmed damage from Thursday’s attack had been announced as of publication. Kuwaiti authorities also had not disclosed how many missiles or drones were detected or how many were successfully intercepted.
Iran’s military claimed it targeted Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base with missiles and attack drones. An Iranian statement carried by state media said the intended targets included satellite-communications systems, equipment depots, fighter-aircraft hangars and locations occupied by American personnel.
Kuwait has not confirmed that any of those targets were struck. The Iranian account therefore remains an unverified claim rather than an established assessment of damage.
Ahmad al-Jaber is operated by the Kuwaiti Air Force and has hosted U.S. and coalition military personnel. Its reported targeting places Thursday’s attack within a broader Iranian campaign against American forces and military infrastructure located throughout the region.
Attacks reported across multiple countries
Iran has claimed attacks against military installations or American positions in Kuwait, Jordan, Bahrain, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates during the latest exchange.
Jordan experienced one of the largest confirmed barrages. The Jordan Armed Forces said 13 ballistic missiles entered the country’s airspace from Iran. Jordanian defenses intercepted and destroyed 10, while three fell in remote areas away from population centers.
Jordan reported no deaths or injuries.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said the missiles targeted Camp Titin, a U.S. Marine Corps site near the Gulf of Aqaba. A U.S. official told Al Jazeera that the attack caused no injuries or significant damage at the installation. Iran’s assertions that important facilities and military aircraft were destroyed have not been independently substantiated.
In Bahrain, air-defense systems intercepted and destroyed Iranian drones, according to the country’s National Communication Centre. Iran said its drones targeted American radar installations and areas occupied by U.S. personnel at Sheikh Isa Air Base.
Bahrain has acknowledged the incoming attack but has not confirmed an impact or damage at the base.
The kingdom also hosts the headquarters of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet, making it one of Washington’s most strategically important military partners in the Gulf.
Drones intercepted near Erbil
Authorities in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region separately reported intercepting 10 explosive drones in the Erbil area.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claimed that its forces attacked the U.S. military presence at Erbil International Airport, including a maintenance facility, equipment warehouses and a system associated with an American surveillance balloon.
Those damage claims have not been independently confirmed.
Local reporting also indicated that drones targeted camps belonging to Iranian Kurdish opposition organizations outside Erbil. That means the attacks in northern Iraq may have pursued both American military targets and Iranian dissident groups based across the border.
UAE disputes Iran’s account
Iran also claimed it attacked American facilities at Al Dhafra and Al Minhad air bases in the United Arab Emirates.
The UAE previously confirmed intercepting an Iranian drone over its territorial waters on Monday but expressly denied Iran’s assertion that Al Minhad Air Base had been targeted in that incident.
No independent evidence presently establishes that Iran successfully struck either UAE installation during the latest barrage. The competing statements illustrate a recurring problem in assessing the conflict: Iran often announces successful attacks on military targets while the governments involved report interceptions or deny that the claimed facilities were hit.
Renewed fighting follows U.S. strikes
The latest escalation followed renewed U.S. attacks on Iranian military targets.
The United States first struck Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island near the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend. U.S. Central Command said the launchers presented a threat to commercial shipping and American forces operating in the region.
The U.S. military subsequently conducted a larger series of strikes against Iranian air-defense systems, radar sites, maritime assets, mine-laying capabilities and communications facilities.
Iran responded by launching missiles and drones toward states that host American troops, even though those governments have emphasized that the attacks violate their sovereignty.
The Gulf Cooperation Council condemned the attacks against Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan. Qatar and the UAE issued separate statements denouncing the escalation and expressing solidarity with the affected countries.
Military targets surrounded by civilian communities
Although Iran describes its campaign as an attack on American military infrastructure, many of the targeted installations are located within or near heavily populated areas.
Missiles and drones that miss their targets—or debris produced during successful interceptions—can fall on homes, roads and civilian facilities. That danger remains even when air-defense systems prevent a direct strike on a military installation.
Kuwaiti authorities urged residents to remain calm, follow official safety instructions and avoid approaching unidentified debris.
The available evidence shows that Iran launched or attempted attacks across several U.S.-aligned countries. It does not yet establish that Iran achieved the extensive damage claimed by its military.
As of Thursday morning, regional governments had reported successful interceptions and no confirmed fatalities from this latest round. Assessments could change as authorities inspect potential impact sites and release additional information.
This is a developing story and will be updated as Kuwait, U.S. Central Command and other regional authorities release additional information.
Sources: Associated Press, Jordan Armed Forces via Petra, Bahrain interception report via Emirates News Agency, Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Al Jazeera
