Kuwait City/Manama: Kuwait and Bahrain reported early on Saturday that their armed forces were responding to new missile and drone strikes, marking a second incident in under a week as tensions between the United States and Iran intensify.
Kuwait’s military said its air defenses were engaged against “hostile missile and drone attacks,” according to a statement posted on X. The General Staff later clarified that any explosions heard across the country were caused by intercepts carried out by air-defense systems.
In Bahrain, authorities activated air-raid sirens and urged people to move to safe locations after reports that US forces had carried out strikes against Iranian targets and following Kuwait’s announcement of incoming projectiles. The Interior Ministry told residents to “remain calm and head to the nearest safe place,” as officials monitored the situation, as reported by Arab News.
The latest exchanges occurred amid renewed hostilities between Washington and Tehran. On Friday, US forces said they shot down four Iranian drones launched toward the Strait of Hormuz, which Washington described as posing an immediate danger to maritime traffic in the strategic shipping corridor.
US Central Command said American forces then struck Iranian coastal surveillance radar sites — including positions on an island in the strait — framing the action as a defensive measure intended to deter further strikes.
The back-and-forth highlights the fragility of a tentative ceasefire and ongoing nuclear negotiations with Iran, leaving regional tensions elevated despite diplomatic efforts to extend the truce between Washington and Tehran.
The recent incidents follow a major drone assault on Kuwait International Airport on June 3 that killed one person, injured dozens and badly damaged part of a passenger terminal, temporarily disrupting operations at one of the Gulf’s busiest hubs.
Iran acknowledged carrying out coordinated strikes earlier this week targeting US military positions in Kuwait and Bahrain, including sites linked to the US Fifth Fleet’s headquarters in Bahrain. The actions prompted strong denunciations across the region, with Gulf and Arab states accusing Tehran of violating neighboring countries’ sovereignty and heightening instability.
Saudi Arabia denounced what it described as repeated Iranian assaults on Kuwait and Bahrain. The Gulf Cooperation Council called the attacks an unacceptable escalation that endangered regional and international security. Other regional governments — including the UAE, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon — also condemned the strikes, expressed solidarity with Kuwait and Bahrain, and urged measures to prevent a wider confrontation.
The incidents have unfolded as Washington increased pressure on Tehran through targeted military moves and sanctions while attempting to preserve a fragile ceasefire that has been strained by recurring attacks and renewed violence in Lebanon.
With air-defense systems once again active in Kuwait and Bahrain and military activity persisting near the Strait of Hormuz, officials and analysts warn that further escalation could jeopardize regional stability and threaten a key global energy transit corridor.
