Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced on Thursday that it had targeted a US military base in the region in response to new American strikes, escalating tensions between Iran and the United States for the second time this week.
The latest confrontation began after explosions were reported overnight in Bandar Abbas, a key southern Iranian port city near the Strait of Hormuz. The city hosts important Iranian naval facilities and is considered strategically significant for regional shipping and security.
A US official later claimed that American forces had intercepted four Iranian kamikaze drones that allegedly threatened maritime activity around the Strait of Hormuz. The official also said US forces struck a drone control station near Bandar Abbas that was preparing to launch another drone. Washington described the operation as defensive and aimed at maintaining the ceasefire reached earlier this year.
Hours later, authorities in Kuwait confirmed that missiles and drones had been intercepted over the country. Reports suggested the projectiles may have been heading toward Ali Al Salem Air Base, a major American military facility near the Kuwaiti-Iraqi border.
The IRGC later released a statement saying it had attacked a US base connected to the earlier strike near Bandar Abbas Airport. Iran warned that any further aggression would face a strong response and said the United States would be fully responsible for the consequences.
The latest escalation follows US strikes earlier this week on Iranian naval targets and military positions in Hormozgan province, which Tehran described as a violation of the April 8 ceasefire agreement.
Although officials from both countries have indicated that negotiations are continuing, major disagreements remain over sanctions, regional security, and military activity in the Strait of Hormuz. The repeated clashes have raised concerns that the fragile truce between Washington and Tehran could further deteriorate.