Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) on Monday said it launched retaliatory strikes on an airbase utilised by US forces for an attack on Iranian communications tower as Kuwait said it intercepted missiles and drones launched by Tehran after warning sirens blared across Kuwait City.
Escalation Following “Self-Defence” Operations
The development comes after the US said it carried out “self-defence” strikes on radar and command sites in Iran over the weekend in response to Tehran’s “aggressive actions.”
Both the countries have been trading strikes amid ongoing negotiations to end the three-months old conflict.
Defending sovereignty in the Gulf
The IRGC didn’t identify which US airbase in the Gulf region was targeted but Kuwait acknowledged that it intercepted missiles on Monday morning.
In a statement, Kuwait’s foreign ministry said it reserved the right to take “all necessary measures” in order to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, The Guardian reported.
Targeted responses and strategic interceptions
The IRGC, in a statement said, “Following the aggression of the US army on a communication tower on Sirik Island in Hormozgan Province an hour ago, the IRGC Aerospace Force fighters targeted the airbase where the aggression originated, and the predicted targets were destroyed,” Al Jazeera reported citing Fars news agency.
Detailing the Iranian strikes, the US Central Command said the American military successfully intercepted two Iranian ballistic missiles targeting American forces based in Kuwait. “These missiles were immediately defeated and no American personnel were harmed,” the Centcom said in a post on X.
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Accountability and continued negotiations
Meanwhile, Tehran defended its strikes on US airbase in the region and argued that countries hosting Washington’s bases which are used in attacks on Tehran cannot evade responsibility. The US military also acknowledged that Iran shot down a US MQ-1 drone that was operating over international waters.
The attacks between US and Iran have spiralled in recent days as a fragile ceasefire, which was signed on April 8 holds, and negotiations to end the conflict continue.
Reports suggest that both sides have had mixed signals over the talks and a potential memorandum of understanding (MoU) remains under review by Iranian and US delegations.
