Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed in a statement that, in response to the U.S. strikes carried out early Thursday against more than 80 targets in southern Iran, it launched an “initial retaliatory response” targeting 85 U.S. military sites and facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait.
According to the IRGC statement, the operation was conducted jointly by its Aerospace Force and Navy using missiles and drones. The statement claims that the operation targeted Salman Port, the headquarters of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, and Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait. The IRGC also claimed to have shot down a U.S. MQ-9 drone that it said attempted to interfere with the operation.
Before the IRGC statement was released, the Kuwaiti military announced that it had activated the country’s air defense systems in response to what it described as missile and drone attacks. At the same time, reports emerged that air raid sirens had sounded in Bahrain.
These developments followed an announcement by the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) stating that it had struck more than 80 targets in southern Iran. The United States said the operation was carried out in response to attacks on three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran has denied responsibility for those attacks.
Source: According to a statement issued by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The claims in the statement have not been independently verified.