Iran Strikes U.S. Bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan in Retaliation
Iran's IRGC launched missile and drone strikes on U.S. military bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan after U.S. airstrikes reportedly killed 18 Iranians including children.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched waves of missile and drone strikes against U.S. military bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan on Wednesday, the IRGC confirmed, in retaliation for what Tehran says was a U.S. airstrike on a wedding near the Strait of Hormuz that killed 18 people, including a four-year-old child.
What We Know
The Kuwaiti military confirmed that air defenses intercepted “hostile missile and drone attacks,” condemning what it called “the sinful Iranian aggression” in a statement from Kuwait’s General Staff. Officials said a fire at a targeted facility had been brought “under control,” though the extent of damage to U.S. facilities was not immediately disclosed.
The IRGC claimed strikes on several sites, including Ali Al Salem air base in Kuwait, which hosts U.S. forces. Al Jazeera reported Iran also targeted U.S. facilities in Bahrain and Jordan. The Hill reported the Iranian strikes came in the early hours of Wednesday, following a renewed wave of U.S. airstrikes against Iran late Tuesday.
Iran’s Fars news agency reported a four-year-old child was among those killed in the U.S. strike on what Tehran describes as a wedding near the Strait of Hormuz. Middle East Eye reported 18 killed, including children. The U.S. has not publicly confirmed the wedding strike or the casualty figures as of publication.
What We Don’t Know
U.S. Central Command had not issued an on-record damage or casualty assessment at time of publication. The full extent of physical damage to the targeted bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan is not yet confirmed. Whether further retaliatory strikes by either side are imminent is unclear. Casualty figures from the alleged wedding strike have not been independently verified.
Context
The exchange marks a significant widening in the conflict. Strikes across multiple U.S. partner nations, including Kuwait and Bahrain, both home to major American military installations, extend the geographic scope of the fighting beyond Iran’s borders and signal Tehran’s willingness to target allied territory rather than absorbing U.S. pressure unilaterally.
The Strait of Hormuz is already showing strain. Ship-tracking firm Kpler reported only four tanker crossings on Tuesday against a ten-day average of 13, a roughly 70 percent drop, according to OilPrice. A sustained disruption at that level would transmit rapidly into global oil prices.
What to Watch
- Whether U.S. Central Command issues a formal damage and casualty assessment for the Iranian strikes on Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan.
- Whether a third round of U.S. airstrikes follows and whether Iran expands its target list to additional Gulf partner states.
- Tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz: if crossings remain well below the ten-day average, an oil price shock grows more likely by the hour.
Found this useful? Share it.
