Tensions in West Asia escalated sharply on Monday after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard announced it had targeted a US military base, while Washington also announced new attacks on Iranian military facilities.The base’s location was not specified in the Revolutionary Guards’ statement, which was broadcast by IRIB and other Iranian state media.This development came at a time when the Kuwaiti army said that its air defense systems were responding to a drone and missile attack.
The army said in a post on the X website, “Kuwait’s air defenses are currently responding to hostile attacks with missiles and drones.” She added that any sounds of explosions heard by residents are the result of air defense systems responding to incoming threats, and advised citizens to follow security and safety instructions.
New American strikes in Iran
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it carried out self-defense strikes on Iranian radar and command and control sites used for drones, following what it described as “aggressive Iranian actions.”According to US Central Command, the strikes targeted radar and drone control facilities in Gouruk, Iran, and on Qeshm Island. The operation was carried out on Saturday and Sunday (local time) following the downing of a US MQ-1 drone that was operating over international waters.
US Central Command said US fighter jets responded “quickly” to the incident, destroying “Iranian air defences, a ground control station and two one-way attack drones” which it said posed “clear threats” to ships crossing territorial waters.The leadership described the operation as “calculated and deliberate,” stressing that it was carried out in self-defense.
“No US service members were harmed,” US Central Command said, adding that it would continue to protect “US assets and interests in response to unprovoked Iranian aggression during the ongoing ceasefire.”
Iran’s account of the drone incident
Iran questioned the American version of events. According to the semi-official Tasnim news agency, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard said that its air defense units shot down an American MQ-1 drone after it entered Iranian regional airspace in the early hours of Sunday.The statement said that Iranian surveillance and air defense systems detected the drone, and then targeted it with advanced air defense missiles. Iranian authorities claimed that the plane was successfully destroyed.The Iranian Revolutionary Guard described the plane as belonging to the US army, and said it was shot down because it entered Iranian airspace “with the intention of carrying out hostile operations.”
Exchanging attacks earlier
The latest developments come days after another exchange of attacks between the two sides. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard said earlier that it targeted a US air base in the region after new US strikes on southern Iran.The Iranian missile launch came after the United States shot down Iranian drones over the Strait of Hormuz and bombed a military site in Bandar Abbas, a strategic port city in southern Iran.According to the Iranian Radio and Television Corporation, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard said that the attack on the American air base occurred in the early hours of Thursday morning and targeted the “source” of previous American strikes on Iran.
Diplomacy continues amid tensions
The renewed military exchanges have raised concerns about the stability of the fragile ceasefire, even as indirect negotiations continue between Washington and Tehran on a possible agreement to end the three-month-old conflict.US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth warned that military action may resume if any agreement fails to meet Washington’s requirements.“Our stocks are more than adequate for this,” Hegseth announced during a speech in Singapore.President Donald Trump has reportedly sent a separate proposed agreement with Iran for further reviews. The US President also said that he was “in no hurry” to finalize the agreement. According to Axios, as reported by CBS News, Trump requested multiple reviews during Friday’s meeting and later sought additional amendments.Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi called for caution regarding reports surrounding the negotiations, saying: “Until a result is reached… everything that is being said now is just speculation.”Iranian media reported that diplomatic talks are still ongoing, as both sides continue to propose changes to the draft agreement.
Restoring missile infrastructure
Meanwhile, Iran has regained access to much of its underground missile infrastructure after months of excavation and repair work, according to a CNN report. The report said that this development highlighted “the limits of the American bombing strategy,” which focused on closing tunnel entrances.The recent military action has heightened fears that the ceasefire could collapse despite ongoing diplomatic efforts involving Qatar and other regional actors.
