Kuwait says it intercepted missiles and drones as US and Iran trade retaliatory strikes

Kuwait said it intercepted missiles and drones on Monday after warning sirens sounded across Kuwait City, as the United States and Iran exchanged fresh retaliatory strikes in the Gulf region. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said it had targeted an airbase used by US forces, while US officials said American forces intercepted ballistic missiles aimed at personnel in Kuwait. The latest exchanges add to an already volatile military confrontation that has continued alongside talks aimed at ending the conflict.

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According to the reported statements, the US said it had carried out self-defence strikes on radar and command sites in Iran over the weekend in response to what it described as Tehran's aggressive actions. The Iranian side said the attack was in retaliation for a strike on a communications tower on Sirik Island in Hormozgan Province. In its account, the IRGC said its Aerospace Force fighters targeted the airbase from which the attack originated and claimed the intended targets were destroyed.

US Central Command said two Iranian ballistic missiles targeting American forces based in Kuwait were intercepted at about 11 p.m. ET on Sunday. It said the missiles were immediately defeated and that no American personnel were harmed.

Kuwait's foreign ministry said it reserved the right to take all necessary measures to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, underscoring the sensitivity of the strikes for a country that hosts US forces. The exchanges matter because they show the conflict widening across the Gulf while negotiations continue in parallel. Even limited strikes on radar, drone and command sites can raise the risk of miscalculation, especially when missiles and drones are being launched toward bases used by foreign forces.

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The reported interceptions in Kuwait also highlight how quickly the confrontation can affect states that are not direct belligerents but host military assets linked to the wider dispute. The incident also points to the role of Sirik Island, which the Iranian side identified as the location of the earlier US strike on a communications tower. That detail suggests the confrontation is not limited to one front, but involves military infrastructure, surveillance and command systems.

The US military also acknowledged that Iran shot down a US MQ-1 drone operating over international waters, adding another layer to the dispute over air and maritime space. The broader backdrop is a three-month-old conflict in which both sides have continued to trade strikes despite a fragile ceasefire framework said to have been signed on 8 April. The reported pattern of action and retaliation suggests that diplomacy has not yet stopped military pressure on either side.

For Kuwait, the immediate concern is the protection of its territory and the safety of people and facilities near the area where the missiles were intercepted. What remains unclear is which specific US airbase in the Gulf region was targeted by the IRGC and how much damage, if any, was caused by the strikes. It is also not clear how the ongoing negotiations will be affected by the latest exchange or whether further retaliatory action will follow.

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