Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched missile and drone strikes targeting US military installations in Kuwait and Bahrain on June 28, marking a significant escalation in a conflict that has been simmering since early 2026. The IRGC claimed to have struck eight sites, including Ali Al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait and the US 5th Fleet base in Bahrain.
Kuwaiti and Bahraini forces intercepted most of the incoming projectiles. No US casualties were reported, and damage was described as limited.
What happened on the ground
The strikes involved a combination of ballistic missiles and drones. The IRGC framed the offensive as retaliation for prior US airstrikes on Iranian targets, part of a tit-for-tat cycle that has defined the 2026 conflict.
Both Kuwait and Bahrain host critical US military infrastructure in the Gulf. Ali Al-Salem has served as a logistics hub for American operations in the region for decades. The 5th Fleet base in Bahrain is the nerve center of US naval operations overseeing the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supply passes daily.
