Iran Fires Missiles at Bahrain and Kuwait in Retaliation for US Drone Shootdown

Iran fired multiple missiles at US allies Bahrain and Kuwait on Thursday in retaliation for the US military shooting down four Iranian attack drones heading towards the Strait of Hormuz, prompting strong backlash from the two Gulf states and escalating tensions in the already fragile Middle East ceasefire.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said late Wednesday that it had shot down four Iranian attack drones heading towards the Strait of Hormuz and destroyed an Iranian coastal surveillance radar station.

In response, Iran launched missiles at the Gulf states of Bahrain and Kuwait. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Thursday they had fired missiles at "enemy bases in the region."

The US Fifth Fleet is headquartered in Bahrain.

CENTCOM stated that Iran fired a total of seven ballistic missiles at Bahrain and Kuwait. Six of them were intercepted, and one fell without hitting its target.

Bahrain strongly condemned Iran's "blatant aggression," while Kuwait described the situation as a "serious escalation."

An AFP journalist in Manama, the capital of Bahrain, heard three explosions and air raid sirens. In Kuwait, another AFP journalist heard multiple explosions near the international airport. The same airport was attacked on Wednesday, killing one person, an attack blamed on Iran.