DUBAI — Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps fired seven ballistic missiles toward Kuwait and Bahrain early Saturday, according to US Central Command and Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry, marking the most significant Iranian missile strike on Gulf sovereign territory since the conflict began. CENTCOM said six of the seven missiles were intercepted by American and partner air defense systems; the seventh failed to reach its target.
Bahrain’s government condemned the attack as a “flagrant violation of sovereignty” and a “grave threat to Gulf security,” placing its armed forces on full alert. Sirens sounded across Manama. Kuwait’s air defenses activated at Ali Al Salem Air Base, a key US-linked facility. No casualties were reported among US or Kuwaiti forces.
The strikes came hours after the US carried out military action against Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz — on Qeshm Island and at the Goruk radar installation. Iran’s IRGC confirmed the retaliatory strikes, claiming they targeted “enemy military bases” in the Gulf.
The UN reports 1.4 million people are in need of aid in Lebanon amid Israel’s continued attacks on the country. Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun accused Iran of using Lebanon as a “bargaining chip” in its negotiations with Washington. Hezbollah rejected the ceasefire deal, citing 32 separate strikes against Israeli forces in southern Lebanon from Thursday into Friday.
US President Donald Trump defended his Iran strategy, saying the conflict would end “one way or the other” and claiming Iran’s military had been severely degraded — asserting it no longer has an effective navy or air force.
Written by Layla Hassan, Middle East & North Africa Correspondent