Explosions were reported in Bandar Abbas, Iran’s coastal areas on Thursday afternoon, with sounds heard mainly along the city’s southern coast around 1400 hrs local time. The explosions were likely due to an exchange of fire in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, as per Iran’s Mehr news agency.
Three IRGC soldiers from Khuzestan province in Iran were killed in a US strike on Thursday morning, as confirmed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Bahrain and Kuwait intercepted and destroyed Iranian aerial attacks, with Bahrain’s Defence Force describing Iran’s actions as a “systematic hostile approach” targeting civilians through missile and drone attacks.
The Bahrain Defence Force emphasized its readiness to protect the country against such attacks, urging the public to avoid unfamiliar or suspicious objects resulting from the incidents. It condemned the use of missiles and drones on civilians as a violation of international humanitarian law.
Kuwait’s General Staff of the Armed Forces reported intercepting three ballistic missiles, a cruise missile, and 10 drones, causing material damage and injuring one person who is now stable. The country deployed explosive ordnance disposal teams to clear remnants of the interception operations.
Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced the Iranian attacks as a violation of its sovereignty, a direct threat to its security and stability, and a breach of international law and the UN Charter. US forces conducted strikes to degrade Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, targeting Iranian military sites and infrastructure.
Iran retaliated by striking US military bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar. These clashes occurred amid ongoing negotiations between Iran and the US to reach a final agreement within 60 days, following a recently signed Memorandum of Understanding.
