Kuwait City: Iran claims to have struck the Ali Al-Salem Air Base near Kuwait City on Friday. The air base hosts the United States Air Force’s 386th Air Expeditionary Wing.
This was the second strike by Iran on the facility over the last few days. Black smoke was seen rising near the US Base in Kuwait City, News18 reported.
Since the US and Israel carried out strikes on Iran, resulting in the death of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei last Saturday, the country has launched multiple waves of missiles and drones at Kuwait and other Gulf countries.
The US had earlier announced it was closing its embassy in Kuwait following retaliatory Iranian strikes, as the widening conflict in West Asia began directly affecting Gulf capitals.
An Iranian drone strike in Kuwait killed six US soldiers last Sunday. US officials confirmed that an unmanned aircraft breached air defences and hit a military operations site.
The US embassy urged the public to stay away from the facility following the attack, citing ongoing threats. It warned people not to approach the compound due to “a continuing threat of missile and UAV (drone) attacks over Kuwait.”
The Ali Al-Salem Air Base, located about 40 km from the Iraqi border in Kuwait, is one of the key facilities used by the US Air Force for military operations in the region. The base hosts the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, which supports air missions and logistics for U.S. forces across the Gulf.
The base is considered strategically important because of its role in supporting American military operations in the Middle East. It has been among the facilities linked to US forces in the region that have come under threat during the ongoing conflict.
On Monday, Iran’s military forces had said it hit the Ali Al-Salem Air Base, as well as vessels in the Indian ocean. This makes Friday’s strike the second one on the air base.
“Missile units of the army’s ground and naval forces operating from various locations targeted the US Ali Al Salem air base in Kuwait as well as enemy vessels in the northern Indian Ocean over the past hours,” Iran’s Army said in a statement.
Fifteen cruise missiles were used in the attack, it said.
