United States Strikes Iranian Radar Sites After Iran Targets American Forces in Kuwait With Ballistic Missiles

The United States has conducted strikes on Iranian military sites over the weekend, and Tehran has responded by targeting a U.S. base, marking the third escalation in a week around the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. Central Command said it launched "self-defence strikes" in response to "aggressive Iranian actions," which included a U.S. drone being shot down over international waters. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had targeted an air base used by American forces for an attack on Iran.

Strikes and Interceptions

U.S. Central Command reported that two Iranian ballistic missiles targeting American forces in Kuwait were intercepted and "no American personnel were harmed." Kuwait earlier said its forces had confronted "hostile" missiles and drones. The U.S. military said it had on Saturday and Sunday conducted "self-defence strikes on Iranian radar and command and control sites for drones" in the city of Goruk, near Iran's southern coast, and Qeshm, an island in the Strait of Hormuz. In a post on X, Central Command said U.S. fighters struck the Iranian military's air defenses, a ground control station, and two drones that it said "posed a clear threat to ships transiting through regional waters." No American personnel were injured in the attacks, it said.

Iranian Response and Warnings

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it targeted the base which it claimed the United States had used to strike a communications tower on Sirik Island in the Gulf, around 40 miles (65 kilometers) from Iran's southern coastline. Iran's military added that its response would be "completely different" if U.S. aggression was "repeated," according to Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps remarks reported by Iran's semi-official Fars news agency. Iran's foreign ministry spokesman said the strikes had been a violation of the ceasefire.

Kuwait's Position

Kuwait's military said early on Monday it was "confronting hostile missile and drone attacks," with state news agency KUNA reporting air raid sirens sounded across the country. Its foreign ministry later released a statement condemning "in the strongest terms... the heinous and repeated Iranian attacks, which represent a dangerous escalation and a direct assault" on Kuwait. It said such attacks "undermine" efforts to deescalate tensions in the region and said the country reserved the right to "take whatever measures are necessary" to defend itself. Tehran targeted an air base in Kuwait last week in response to earlier U.S. air strikes, which it said were conducted to prevent Iranian boats and missile strikes from laying mines around the shipping channel.

Diplomatic Context

The strikes mark the latest exchange between the two sides after negotiations on a deal to end their months-long war failed to advance over the weekend, with U.S. media reporting President Donald Trump had requested changes to its terms. The changes are related to the Strait of Hormuz shipping channel and the removal of highly enriched uranium from Iran, the BBC's U.S. news partner CBS News reported. The White House did not respond to a request for comment. On Monday, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman said the United States was "constantly changing its views and putting forward new or contradictory demands," which he said would naturally "prolong negotiations." The country's chief negotiator had said on Sunday that Tehran would not agree to any deal unless Iranian rights were fully secured. President Donald Trump urged his critics to "sit back and relax" in a post on Truth Social early on Monday, saying it would "all work out well in the end." He said Iran "really wants to make a deal, and it will be a good one for the USA."

Context

Similar escalations have occurred in recent weeks, including Iran targeting an air base in Kuwait last week in response to earlier U.S. air strikes, which were conducted to prevent Iranian boats and missile strikes from laying mines around the Strait of Hormuz shipping channel. Satellite images have shown Iran attacks damaging 20 U.S. military sites since the start of the war.