Kuwait and Bahrain said their air defences intercepted Iranian drone attacks on Thursday, with residents in Kuwait City and Manama reporting the sound of explosions and the activation of warning sirens. Kuwait’s army stated that the blasts were the result of its systems engaging hostile unmanned aircraft and urged the public to adhere to official safety instructions. It was the second such incident reported by Kuwait since dawn, and Bahrain’s interior ministry confirmed that sirens had been sounded as its defence force confronted what it described as a number of “treacherous” aerial attacks.

Kuwait’s foreign ministry held Iran fully responsible for what it called a “flagrant violation” of international law and a continuation of “sinful aggression”, warning that persistence in this approach against Kuwait and fellow Gulf Cooperation Council states would further escalate tensions and undermine regional security. Bahrain’s defence force said it had intercepted and destroyed several incoming drones. The United Arab Emirates’ foreign ministry condemned the renewed strikes on Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan as a clear violation of sovereignty and a threat to the stability of “brotherly countries”, expressing full solidarity with the targeted states. Viewed from Tehran, the operations were framed differently: Iranian state television announced that the army had launched drone raids against US radar systems, Patriot batteries and fuel storage at Ali Al Salem air base in Kuwait, and against communication and radar systems at Sheikh Isa air base in Bahrain, as part of what it called the tenth round of “Operation Thunderbolt”.

Kuwaiti military statements indicated that the latest wave had struck a number of vital and civilian facilities, while earlier in the week three border posts in the north of the country and an offshore oil platform belonging to Kuwait Oil Company were hit, though the source of those attacks was not officially identified. Bahrain’s army accused Iran of systematically targeting civilians. These claims point to an expansion of the target set beyond the US military assets that Tehran says it is aiming at, a discrepancy that Gulf officials have highlighted in their condemnations.

The exchanges unfold against a backdrop of repeated US strikes on Iranian military infrastructure and a renewed American naval blockade on Iranian ports, according to regional media reports. Iranian state media have presented the drone operations as retaliation for those US actions. There has been no immediate comment from Iranian military officials on the specific interceptions reported by Kuwait and Bahrain. Gulf diplomatic sources indicate that Kuwait and the UAE are pressing for an immediate cessation of attacks, while both Kuwait and Bahrain have pledged to take all necessary measures to protect their territories. The dossier remains open, with further US strikes and Iranian responses expected in the coming days.