Air strike alarms sound in Bahrain as Iranian missiles and drones target Gulf neighbors
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The government of Bahrain said on Saturday that Iran fired missiles and drones towards it and Kuwait. The State Department said they had been arrested, and called on Iran to immediately stop attacks on its Gulf neighbors.
Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the attack “a major escalation” and “a clear violation of its sovereignty.” It said on Saturday that it reserves the right to defend the country.
These statements came a few hours after the US military said it shot down Iranian missiles and drones launched near the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf Arab allies on Friday, while hitting some of the Islamic Republic’s coastal radar sites in response – an exchange of fire that furthered the end of the conflict with Tehran.
US President Donald Trump lashed out at four Republican representatives who voted with House Democrats to stop military action against Iran. Trump has faced several challenges of late, including rising poll numbers and challenges to his anti-arms fund.
The change in strikes comes as the Trump administration ramps up pressure on Iran to sign a deal to end the conflict.
The US Central Command said on social media on Friday night that Iran fired seven missiles towards Kuwait and Bahrain, while the US military intercepted six missiles and the seventh failed to reach its target. The military said there were no reports of injuries to American personnel.
The ballistic missiles were fired after the US earlier in the day shot down four Iranian drones launched near the Strait of Hormuz.
“Aggressive drones pose a threat to maritime traffic,” the US Central Command said on social media.
Kuwait’s military said troops were intercepting missiles and drones attacking the country, while Bahrain activated air raid sirens and told residents to move to the nearest safe place and follow official instructions.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it targeted the Ali Al Salem air base, which hosts US troops in Kuwait, and the US Navy’s 5th Fleet in the small Gulf island of Bahrain, according to the IRNA news agency.
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The US military imposed a blockade on Iranian ports in response to Tehran’s interference in a key corridor for the export of oil and natural gas around the world, which has sent energy prices soaring and created political problems for US President Donald Trump’s Republican Party ahead of mid-term congressional elections in November.
US Central Command said it hit radar sites, including an island in the strait, “to protect against further attacks.”
Trump promises a quick end to the conflict
It was the latest back-and-forth attacks that complicated a ceasefire in the war and efforts to reach an agreement to extend that agreement. Earlier this week, Iranian drones heavily damaged Kuwait’s main airport, killing one person, injuring dozens and briefly closing the airport.
Although the attack raised new concerns that it could collapse, Trump told reporters on Friday that “the situation with Iran appears to be going well.”
Trump increasingly appears to be facing a controversy that remains a holding pattern. US and Iranian negotiators reached an indefinite deal last week to extend the ceasefire by 60 days and begin a new round of talks on Iran’s nuclear program. But Trump has called for unspecified changes, and Iranian officials have shown no public signs of signing the deal.
Asked Friday why it was taking so long, Trump told NBC Meet the media that it was because “it is a very difficult thing for them.”
“There are things they never thought they would do that they have to do. They don’t have a choice, and it takes a while,” he said in an interview.
Trump said the Iranians still have 21 to 22 percent of their missiles.
