Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed on Wednesday that missile and drone attacks on the U.S. military presence at Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait killed a number of American personnel and destroyed several drones and military facilities.
Iranian news agency Tasnim reported on Sept. 2 that the IRGC said its forces targeted the headquarters and accommodation of the U.S. commander at the base, as well as a drone hangar and a ramp used to deploy U.S. drones.
The IRGC claimed the attack caused fires at the facilities and destroyed several drones that it said had been used in attacks against Iran. It also said Iranian forces simultaneously targeted U.S. positions in Jordan, Bahrain and Iraq.
The claims of U.S. casualties and the extent of damage at Ali Al Salem could not immediately be independently verified. The U.S. military has not confirmed the IRGC’s reported death toll.
The strikes followed a new round of U.S.-Iran hostilities after the U.S. military said it had carried out strikes against IRGC targets in Iran. Reuters reported on Wednesday that Iran retaliated by attacking U.S. military positions in several countries in the region, marking a major escalation after a period of relative calm.
Iran has described the attacks as retaliation for U.S. strikes in southern Iran. Iranian officials said a U.S. strike near a wedding in Kuhestak killed civilians, while the U.S. military said its operations targeted Iranian military infrastructure. The competing accounts have not been fully reconciled.
The latest escalation has raised concerns that the conflict could spread across the Gulf and draw additional countries and U.S. military facilities into the fighting. Iran has previously targeted U.S. and allied positions in the region, while Washington has warned of further military action if Iranian attacks continue.
The economic risks are also growing. The Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global energy supplies, has already faced severe disruption during the conflict. Reuters reported that oil prices rose above $95 a barrel as renewed hostilities heightened fears over supplies and the wider regional economy. Gulf stock markets also fell on Wednesday as investors reacted to the escalation.
