Iran’s military has claimed that it carried out drone strikes against US strategic facilities at Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base in Kuwait, describing the action as retaliation for recent US military operations, including an alleged strike on a residential building on Iran’s Qeshm Island.
The claim was reported by Iranian state broadcaster IRIB, citing a statement from the Iranian Army’s Public Relations office. According to the report, the operation was conducted during the 27th stage of Operation Lightning.
Iran Claims Drone Strikes Targeted US Facilities in Kuwait
Iranian state media said the strikes targeted what it described as “fighter jet nests”, satellite communication systems and equipment warehouses at Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base.
IRIB described the facility as an important centre for US air support, surveillance and regional operations. The Iranian Army said its action was carried out in response to recent US military activity, specifically referring to the reported strike on a residential home on Qeshm Island.
Iranian authorities have alleged that the Qeshm Island attack killed two parents and their child. The claim was presented by Tehran as the reason for the retaliatory action.
Iran Says Attacks Are Making Defence Interceptions Difficult
IRIB also reported Iranian claims that continuing attacks by the Iranian Army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had made the interception of drones and missiles increasingly difficult and costly for opposing defence systems.
The Iranian state broadcaster further alleged that strict censorship was being imposed to limit reporting about casualties and material damage. These assertions were presented by Iranian state media and were not independently established in the supplied material.
IRGC Previously Claimed Attacks on Ali Al Salem Airbase
The latest claim comes after the IRGC said it had destroyed two drone hangars and a fuel storage facility intended for military aircraft and helicopters at the US-operated Ali Al Salem airbase in Kuwait.
According to a statement reported by Iranian state-owned media, the IRGC told Kuwaiti citizens that Tehran’s military actions would continue until what it described as the removal of US forces from the region.
The developments have added to the wider escalation involving Iran and US forces across the region.
Iran Also Claimed Retaliatory Strike on Jordan Airbase
The escalation in Kuwait followed Tehran’s claim on Thursday that it had carried out a separate retaliatory missile strike against Jordan’s al-Azraq airbase.
Iran’s IRGC claimed that its aerospace forces had fired multiple ballistic missiles at a ramp and maintenance facility at the base where US F-35 fighter aircraft are stationed.
The IRGC further claimed that three F-35 aircraft were completely destroyed and three others suffered heavy damage. It also alleged that several US officers and technical and maintenance personnel were killed.
Those claims were rejected by the United States military.
US CENTCOM Rejects Iranian Claims of Aircraft Damage
US Central Command (CENTCOM) directly disputed Iran’s claims about damage to American aircraft.
“No US aircraft were destroyed or damaged in recent attempted Iranian attacks.”
CENTCOM added that all missiles and drones involved in the recent attempted attacks were intercepted or failed to reach their intended areas.
“All missiles and drones were intercepted or failed to reach targeted areas,” CENTCOM said.
The US command also rejected another Iranian allegation involving the commercial oil tanker M/T Nora, which Iran had claimed violated a recently reinstated US blockade on Iranian ports.
CENTCOM said more than 20 US warships, hundreds of aircraft and thousands of US service members remained on alert and continued enforcing the blockade.
Qeshm Island Strike at Centre of Retaliation Claims
The competing accounts over the attacks on US facilities have been linked by Iran to US military action on Qeshm Island.
The IRGC said the attack on al-Azraq airbase was conducted in response to the US strike on Qeshm Island, which it alleged killed two parents and their child. Iran has used the alleged civilian deaths to justify its retaliatory claims against US military positions in the region.
The Iranian military has also framed its wider campaign as a response to US attacks on Iranian territory and has vowed to continue military action until American forces leave the region.
Kuwait Condemned Earlier Iranian Strike
The latest developments follow an earlier incident in Kuwait in which the country’s defence ministry condemned what it described as a “heinous” Iranian strike on a building owned by a Chinese company in northern Kuwait.
According to the supplied report, the attack killed one worker and caused significant structural damage to the building.
The competing claims surrounding the attacks underline the rapidly escalating confrontation between Iran and US forces in the region. While Iranian state media has reported damage to American military infrastructure, CENTCOM has rejected key Iranian claims, including allegations that US aircraft were destroyed or damaged.
Source: ANI, citing Iranian state media and US Central Command
