U.S. Forces Respond to Iranian Missile Launches
Bahrain’s government has reported intercepting ballistic missiles and drones that were en route to Bahrain and Kuwait, describing the incident as part of Iran’s ongoing “systematic hostile approach.”
On Saturday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that U.S. forces had intercepted missiles and drones that were launched by Iran towards the Strait of Hormuz and nearby Gulf countries on Friday.
“Iran fired seven ballistic missiles toward Kuwait and Bahrain just hours after CENTCOM shot down four Iranian attack drones aimed at the Strait of Hormuz,” CENTCOM noted on social media. “These drones posed an immediate threat to regional maritime traffic.”
According to CENTCOM’s initial evaluations, six of the Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted, while a seventh missile failed to hit its target.
The General Command of the Bahrain Defense Force released a statement on Saturday indicating that its military is at a heightened state of readiness to ensure national security. They also advised the public to report any unfamiliar objects that may have landed due to the attacks to the Royal Field Engineering Unit.
“The General Command emphasized that the intentional targeting of civilians and private property with missiles and drones is a blatant violation of international humanitarian law,” the statement from Bahrain asserted.
In retaliation, U.S. forces targeted Iranian coastal surveillance radar sites in Goruk and on Qeshm Island to defend against further maritime threats, CENTCOM reported.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed to have struck the Ali Al Salem air base in Kuwait and the Navy’s 5th Fleet in Bahrain. However, CENTCOM refuted these claims.
“There have been no reports of injuries to U.S. personnel, and Iranian allegations regarding damage to the 5th Fleet headquarters in Bahrain are untrue,” CENTCOM stated.
These attacks have raised alarms about the ceasefire Iran had agreed to previously with the Trump administration. President Donald Trump, however, remains hopeful about the potential to resolve conflicts with Iran.
“The situation with Iran seems to be going quite well,” Trump told reporters during a Friday event in Wisconsin. “We will exit Iran very soon, and it will be a strong exit, one way or another—whether through an agreement or a tougher approach. The tougher way might actually be simpler, but we’ll figure it out.”
