Iran fires missiles, drones at US bases in Bahrain, Kuwait

Iran launched missile and drone attacks against U.S. military installations in Bahrain and Kuwait on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, in a retaliatory strike that marks a sharp escalation of hostilities and threatens a fragile regional ceasefire. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed the operation targeted 85 key U.S. military sites, including facilities associated with the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet in Bahrain and the Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, and stated its forces shot down an American MQ-9 drone.

The Iranian strikes came in direct response to a major wave of U.S. airstrikes inside Iran earlier the same day. U.S. Central Command stated its operation targeted more than 80 sites, including Iranian air defense systems, command networks, anti-ship missile capabilities, and more than 60 small boats operated by the IRGC. U.S. officials said these strikes were retaliation for attacks on three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, which included a Saudi-flagged oil tanker and a Qatari liquefied natural gas carrier. One tanker caught fire, though no injuries were reported. Iran has denied responsibility for the ship attacks.

Air raid sirens sounded in both Gulf...