Kuwait and Bahrain activated their air defence systems on Sunday after Iran launched a fresh wave of missile and drone attacks targeting military installations in the Gulf, escalating tensions across the region.
Authorities in both countries confirmed that their armed forces were responding to the aerial assaults as warning sirens sounded and explosions were heard in several locations.
In a statement, the Kuwaiti military said its air defence units were actively intercepting incoming threats following what it described as Iranian aggression.
“Kuwaiti air defences are currently confronting hostile missile and drone attacks, following the sinful Iranian aggression,” the military said.
An AFP journalist in Kuwait City reported hearing air raid sirens across the capital as security forces responded to the unfolding situation.
In neighbouring Bahrain, which hosts the United States Navy’s Fifth Fleet, the country’s military also confirmed that its air defence systems had intercepted multiple Iranian aerial attacks.
According to the Bahraini military, its defence units successfully destroyed several incoming projectiles before they could reach their intended targets.
“Air defence systems confronted, intercepted, and destroyed a number of treacherous Iranian aerial attacks,” the military said.
An AFP journalist in Bahrain reported hearing loud explosions in the northern part of the island nation after warning sirens echoed across the capital, Manama.
Earlier on Sunday, Iran’s military announced that it had launched drone strikes against two American military bases in Kuwait in retaliation for recent US attacks on Iranian territory.
According to a statement carried by Iranian state media, the operation targeted Camp Udairi and Ali Al Salem Air Base, both of which are used by the United States military.
Iran said it carried out “large-scale attacks with kamikaze drones against the US military’s ammunition depot at Camp Udairi and the Patriot radar system and air surveillance radar at Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait.”
The latest strikes mark another escalation in the confrontation between Iran and the United States and their regional allies despite previous efforts to de-escalate hostilities through a ceasefire and memorandum of understanding.
Both Kuwait and Bahrain, home to major US military installations, have repeatedly come under attack since the conflict intensified earlier this month.
On Saturday, Kuwaiti authorities disclosed that Iranian strikes had hit a power and water plant as well as an oil facility, damaging critical infrastructure and further heightening regional security concerns.
The attacks came shortly before the United States announced fresh bombardments against Iranian targets, saying the operation was intended to retaliate for the first American military fatalities recorded since the renewed hostilities began.
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that two American service members were killed on Friday while defending against Iranian missile and drone attacks.
According to CENTCOM, another service member remains missing.
The command stated that the casualties occurred as US forces responded to “Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks.”
The continued exchange of attacks has raised fears of a broader regional conflict as both Iran and the United States intensify military operations while Gulf nations strengthen defensive measures around critical infrastructure and military facilities.
