Iran launched a ballistic missile at a U.S. military base in Kuwait in response to limited, surgical U.S. strikes on Iranian targets.
The launch was confirmed by both Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps-linked accounts and U.S. Central Command, the latter of which said the missile was intercepted by Kuwaiti forces. Each party pointed fingers over who began the exchange of fire, which occurred as the war had been on the brink of either reigniting or concluding with a negotiated deal.
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By CENTCOM’s account, the exchange began when Iran launched five kamikaze drones that “posed a clear threat in and near the Strait of Hormuz.” U.S. forces intercepted the drones, then launched a preemptive strike against an “Iranian ground control site in Bandar Abbas” to prevent the launch of a sixth drone.
The ensuing Iranian ballistic missile strike marked an “egregious ceasefire violation by the Iranian regime,” CENTCOM said.
A message from Sepah News, a Guard-linked Iranian Telegram channel, portrayed the ballistic missile launch as a tit-for-tat retaliation against the “aggressive U.S. army.” It claimed the ballistic missile was targeting the origin of the U.S. strike on Bandar Abbas.
“This response is a serious warning so the enemy knows that aggression will not go unanswered and if repeated, our response will be more decisive,” the post read.
Iran published footage of what it claimed to be the actual ballistic missile fired at the base, to which Revolutionary Guard fighters first attached two stickers. One sticker showed a heap of U.S. military hardware rubble, under which was buried President Donald Trump, who was raising the white flag of surrender.
“With the weapon of faith and the slogan ‘Allahu Akbar’ we push our enemy back and humiliate them,” the caption, displayed in English, read.
The other sticker showed the U.S. flag being trampled upon by military boots.
A message from the Revolutionary Guard-linked semi-official Tasnim outlet claimed the initial U.S. attack consisted of several missiles fired “into empty areas near Bandar Abbas airport, causing no damage.”
Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the Iranian attack, saying the state issued the “strongest condemnation and denunciation of the criminal Iranian attacks,” which violated its sovereignty. Notably, the statement reported that Iran attacked Kuwait with multiple missiles and drones, though it didn’t specify how many.
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“The Ministry affirms that this escalation comes at a time when earnest efforts are being exerted by a number of brotherly and friendly countries to reduce tensions, de-escalate, and spare the region further escalation, which amplifies the gravity of these attacks and undermines diplomatic efforts aimed at preserving regional security and stability,” the statement read.
Taking all the statements together, no casualties were reported from the strikes. The skirmish is just the latest exchange of hostilities undertaken during the fragile ceasefire, which has held despite repeated violations.
