U.S., Iran Exchange Strikes in Gulf

U.S., Iran Exchange Strikes in Gulf

U.S. forces and Iran conducted reciprocal military actions in the Gulf region on Wednesday, May 29, further testing a ceasefire established in April. The U.S. military engaged Iranian drones and subsequently struck Iranian radar sites, while Iran launched ballistic missiles at U.S. bases in Kuwait and Bahrain.

U.S. Central Command (Centcom) reported shooting down four Iranian "one-way attack drones" near the Strait of Hormuz, citing an immediate threat to maritime traffic. Following this, U.S. forces targeted Iranian coastal surveillance radar sites in southern Iran. Iran's Irib news agency reported that Iran retaliated by firing seven ballistic missiles at two U.S. air bases in Kuwait and U.S. Navy facilities in Bahrain. Centcom indicated that six of these missiles were intercepted, and one failed to reach its target.

These exchanges occurred amidst stalled ceasefire negotiations between the U.S. and Iran. Earlier, on Wednesday, Iranian drone strikes on Kuwait's international airport resulted in one fatality and over 60 injuries. While Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) denied responsibility, Centcom attributed the attack to Iran. The IRGC had previously claimed targeting U.S. bases in response to U.S. strikes on an Iranian oil tanker and Qeshm Island.