Daijiworld Media Network – Tehran
Tehran, May 28: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Thursday claimed responsibility for a missile attack targeting an American air base in the region following fresh US strikes on southern Iran overnight.
Kuwait, which hosts a US military base, said it had intercepted “hostile missile and drone threats” but did not officially confirm the intended target.
The Iranian missile launch came after the United States reportedly shot down Iranian drones over the Strait of Hormuz and carried out strikes on a military site in Bandar Abbas, a strategic port city in southern Iran.
The latest escalation marked the second US attack on Iranian targets within three days, with Washington stating that the operations were conducted in self-defence. The renewed hostilities have raised concerns over the collapse of a fragile ceasefire between the two countries.
According to Iranian state broadcaster IRIB, the IRGC said the attack on the US air base was carried out in the early hours of Thursday and targeted “the source” of the earlier American strikes.
Meanwhile, US Central Command (CENTCOM) described Iran’s reported attack on Kuwait as an “egregious ceasefire violation”.
CENTCOM stated that Iranian forces had launched five one-way attack drones near the Strait of Hormuz, all of which were intercepted. It further claimed that a sixth drone launched from Bandar Abbas was also neutralised.
The US military described its actions as “measured, purely defensive, and intended to maintain the ceasefire”.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baqai condemned the US strikes and termed them a violation of the ceasefire.
He stated that Iran would “take all necessary measures to defend its national sovereignty”.
Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry also strongly condemned what it described as “criminal Iranian attacks” targeting its territory.
Earlier this week, the US confirmed that it had conducted “self-defence” strikes on missile sites and Iranian boats allegedly attempting to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
The US also imposed sanctions on the “Persian Gulf Strait Authority”, the Iranian body responsible for collecting payments from ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
The US Treasury Department warned that vessels making payments to the authority could face sanctions.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also cautioned Oman against supporting any toll collection system in the strategic waterway.
“Oman in particular should know that the US Treasury will aggressively target any actors involved,” Bessent said in a post on X.
Iranian state television had earlier reported details of a draft agreement allegedly involving Iran and the US, which included a proposal for Oman to jointly manage the Strait of Hormuz with Iran.
Responding to the reports during a cabinet meeting, President Donald Trump warned that Oman “will behave just like everybody else, or we’ll have to blow them up”.
Nearly one-fifth of the world’s liquefied natural gas and oil shipments normally pass through the Strait of Hormuz, making the ongoing conflict a major concern for global energy markets.
Iran has stated that it is collecting fees for “navigational services” and intends to continue managing traffic through the waterway.
The IRGC also claimed earlier this week that it had shot down a US drone and fired at a fighter jet and another drone that allegedly entered Iranian airspace.
Diplomatic negotiations aimed at ending the three-month conflict have continued amid growing international concern over disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and rising global fuel prices.
While Trump recently stated that a peace agreement with Iran had been “largely negotiated”, he later indicated that Washington remained dissatisfied with the pace of progress.
“Maybe we have to go back and finish it, maybe we don’t,” he said during Wednesday’s cabinet meeting.
Trump has also warned that the US could resume large-scale bombing operations if Iran fails to agree to Washington’s terms.