Iran Strikes US Military Bases in Jordan and Bahrain in Retaliatory Attack

Iran has launched a series of missile and drone attacks targeting United States military facilities in Jordan, Bahrain, and Kuwait, marking a severe escalation in hostilities following recent US strikes on Iranian targets.

The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Wednesday that it carried out major attacks against United States military bases in Jordan, Bahrain, and Kuwait, warning its Gulf neighbours of their "responsibility" to stop the US and Israel from using their territories to launch strikes against the Islamic Republic.

The Iranian offensive comes as a direct retaliation for US military strikes launched on Tuesday evening targeting Iranian air defence systems, surveillance radar sites, and ground control stations near the Strait of Hormuz. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) described its prior strikes as "self-defence" following the downing of a US Army Apache attack helicopter by Iran.

In a statement quoted by state-run media, the IRGC claimed its forces fired long-range missiles and targeted 21 US military sites in the region. The Guards claimed to have destroyed four major targets, including F-35 fighter jet hangars and a command-and-control centre at the US Al-Azraq airbase in Jordan. The IRGC also claimed to have launched drone attacks targeting the US Fifth Fleet stationed in Bahrain and the Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait.

Despite Iran's claims of destruction, reports indicate that allied defence systems intercepted the majority of the incoming fire. Jordan’s military confirmed it shot down five missiles from Iran, reporting no casualties or material damage.

Similarly, Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior stated that it intercepted and destroyed a number of Iranian aerial targets after sirens sounded in the capital, Manama, early Wednesday morning. The Kuwaiti military also confirmed that its air defence systems successfully engaged hostile aerial targets.

Meanwhile, a US official stated that while Iran launched multiple ballistic missiles and drones at various US bases in the Middle East, nearly all were intercepted, with no immediate reports of US casualties or damage to the bases.

The exchange of fire has severely strained a fragile ceasefire that took effect in April, casting doubt on US President Donald Trump’s earlier claims that negotiations on an enduring settlement to end the Middle East war were in their "final throes."

The crisis initially erupted in late February following joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran, throwing the region into chaos and rattling global energy markets after Iran temporarily choked off the Strait of Hormuz—a vital conduit for global oil and gas supplies.

In its latest statement, the IRGC warned that it remains fully prepared to deliver a "crushing and decisive" response to any further US military action, adding that Washington would bear full responsibility for the consequences of any additional escalation.

The renewed violence has drawn international calls for restraint, especially as the world prepares for the upcoming World Cup, which the US is co-hosting and in which Iran is participating.