Kuwait, Bahrain respond to Iran attacks

KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait and Bahrain’s militaries said on Sunday they were responding to Iranian aerial attacks, and air raid sirens sounded in the two Gulf countries as Tehran pressed its retaliatory strikes across the region.

“Kuwaiti air defences are currently confronting hostile missile and drone attacks, following the sinful Iranian aggression,” the army said in a statement, as an AFP journalist reported warning sirens sounding in Kuwait City.

In the island kingdom of Bahrain, host of the US Fifth Fleet, the military said its air defences “confronted, intercepted, and destroyed a number of treacherous Iranian aerial attacks”.

It also accused Iran of targeting civilians in its attacks.

An AFP journalist said blasts could be heard in the north of Bahrain after another AFP reporter said a warning siren rang out across the capital Manama.

In the early hours of Sunday, Iran’s army said it had targeted two US bases in Kuwait with drones in response to American attacks on Iranian territory.

Iran said earlier it carried out “large-scale attacks with kamikaze drones against the US military’s ammunition depot at Camp Udairi and the Patriot radar system and air surveillance radar at Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait”, according to a statement on state media.

Both Kuwait and Bahrain, which host US military installations, have borne the brunt of attacks by Iran on its Gulf neighbours since hostilities resumed this month despite a ceasefire and memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran.

On Saturday Kuwait said Iran had struck a power and water plant as well as an oil facility before the US announced bombardments to “punish” Iran over the first US military deaths since the renewed hostilities.

Central Command (CENTCOM) said two service members were killed on Friday as they “defended against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks”.

It said another service member was still missing in action.