Iran targeted a US airbase in Kuwait on Thursday after American forces struck what Washington described as an Iranian drone operation near the Strait of Hormuz, further straining fragile efforts to secure a lasting peace agreement in the region.
The latest exchange underscored the instability surrounding negotiations aimed at preserving the ceasefire that took effect in early April and ending the three-month conflict that has killed thousands and disrupted global trade routes.
US Central Command said American forces intercepted five Iranian attack drones and destroyed a ground control station in Bandar Abbas that was allegedly preparing to launch another drone. Soon afterward, Kuwaiti authorities said their air defense systems intercepted a ballistic missile aimed at the country, which hosts a major US military installation.
“These actions were measured, purely defensive and intended to maintain the ceasefire,” a US official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it targeted the US base in response to an earlier American strike near Bandar Abbas airport. According to Tasnim News Agency, the IRGC warned that any further attacks would trigger a “more decisive response.”
Kuwait strongly condemned the strike and urged Tehran to halt what it described as a dangerous escalation.
In addition, violence spread across the region during Eid ul Adha celebrations. Israel said it had launched strikes on Hezbollah infrastructure in the Lebanese city of Tyre and carried out another attack in Beirut. The Lebanese army reported that one of its soldiers was killed, while Israel said air raid sirens sounded across its northern areas.
Financial markets also reacted sharply. Oil prices rebounded after a steep decline a day earlier, while stocks fell and the US dollar strengthened as investor confidence in a peace agreement weakened.
