Kuwait, Bahrain repel fresh Iranian attacks as US-Iran conflict escalates

Kuwait and Bahrain activated their air defence systems early Thursday in response to what they described as “hostile missile and drone attacks”, hours after Iran vowed retaliation for a fresh wave of US airstrikes on its territory.

Kuwait’s military said explosions heard across the country were caused by air defence systems intercepting incoming threats, though it did not identify their origin. In Bahrain, air raid sirens sounded across the capital, Manama, before residents reported multiple explosions.

Qatar also issued a nationwide security alert before later announcing that the immediate threat had passed.

Iranian state media subsequently reported that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had launched missiles and drones targeting two US military bases in Kuwait and two more in Bahrain, describing the attacks as retaliation for the latest US strikes.

The escalation comes a day after Kuwait said it intercepted two missiles and 13 drones allegedly launched from Iran, highlighting the intensifying cross-border exchanges between Tehran and Washington.

The latest attacks follow earlier Iranian strikes on US military facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain, prompting strong international condemnation and raising fears that the conflict could spread across the Gulf.

Saudi Arabia denounced the attacks as violations of the sovereignty of Kuwait and Bahrain and breaches of international law, urging Iran to halt further aggression. The United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan, Egypt and Oman also called for restraint and renewed diplomacy, while China appealed to both sides to avoid a wider war and return to dialogue.

The escalating military exchanges have further strained regional mediation efforts and intensified concerns over security in the Strait of Hormuz, where recent attacks on commercial shipping have disrupted one of the world’s most critical energy trade routes.