Iran says it targeted American base after fresh US strikes

Iran Reports Strike on US Air Base After American Attacks in Southern Iran

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated that it targeted an American air base in the region following US strikes on sites in southern Iran. The IRGC did not specify the base's location. Kuwait, which hosts a US military facility, reported intercepting missile and drone threats over its territory.

The US military confirmed that Iran launched a ballistic missile toward Kuwait, which Kuwaiti forces intercepted. It did not state whether the missile was directed at the US base. The launch followed US interception of Iranian drones over the Strait of Hormuz and strikes on a military site in Bandar Abbas, a port city in southern Iran.

These actions occurred amid an existing ceasefire between the United States and Iran. This marks the second US operation against Iranian targets in three days, with Washington describing the strikes as self-defense measures. The IRGC said its response occurred in the early hours of Thursday and was directed at the location from which earlier US strikes originated, according to Iran's state broadcaster IRIB.

US Central Command described Iran's missile launch as a ceasefire violation that took place hours after Iranian forces launched five one-way attack drones near the Strait of Hormuz. It stated that all five drones were intercepted and that a sixth drone, launched from a ground control site in Bandar Abbas, was also stopped. Central Command characterized its own operations as defensive actions intended to maintain the ceasefire.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqai condemned the US strikes as a violation of the ceasefire. He stated that Iran would take measures to defend its national sovereignty, according to IRIB. Kuwait's foreign affairs ministry condemned what it called Iranian attacks on its territory.

Earlier in the week, the United States conducted strikes on Iranian missile sites and vessels attempting to place mines in the Strait of Hormuz. Central Command said those strikes aimed to protect US forces from Iranian threats. The United States also imposed sanctions on the Persian Gulf Strait Authority, the Iranian entity responsible for collecting payments from vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The Treasury Department warned that ships making such payments could face sanctions exposure.

Approximately one-fifth of global liquefied natural gas and oil shipments normally pass through the Strait. Its disruption has affected international energy markets. Baqai said Iran was collecting fees for navigational services and would continue managing traffic through the waterway. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described the fees as an attempt by Iranian forces to obtain revenue from maritime trade.

The IRGC reported on Tuesday that it had shot down a US drone and engaged a fighter jet and another drone that entered Iranian airspace, without providing a specific date for those incidents. Negotiations to end the three-month conflict, which has restricted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and contributed to higher global energy prices, have continued.

During a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, President Donald Trump stated that Iran was negotiating from a weakened position and that his administration's approach would not be altered by the November midterm elections. He indicated that further military action remained possible. Trump also called on Gulf states to join the Abraham Accords for normalized relations with Israel.

Israel began military operations against Iran alongside the United States on 28 February and is separately engaged in conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Trump has stated that large-scale bombing could resume if Iran does not accept US terms. Over the weekend he described a potential agreement as largely negotiated, but by Wednesday he said the United States remained unsatisfied with progress. He noted that Iran appeared interested in reaching a deal but had not yet done so, and he reiterated readiness to resume strikes.

Iranian state television reported details of a draft agreement that would include reopening the Strait of Hormuz and withdrawal of US forces from the region. The White House called the reported text a fabrication. Both sides had indicated progress toward an agreement late last week, though Iran later stated that a deal was not imminent and Trump instructed negotiators not to rush.