Iranian ballistic missiles target US base in Kuwait

Iran fired three ballistic missiles at a US military base in Kuwait on Sunday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)-affiliated Tasnim News Agency claimed.According to the report, explosions were heard in the area as smoke was seen in the border region between Kuwait and Iraq.Smoke was seen rising from a Kuwaiti port, Walla reported earlier on Sunday. Later on Sunday, Iran claimed to have destroyed American High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) batteries in Kuwait, according to the Iran-run Fars News Agency.Notably, the Fars report attributed the strike to Iranian drones, contradicting the earlier Tasnim ballistic missile report.US Central Command (CENTCOM) denied Iranian reports that claimed three US service members were killed in the strikes, in a post on X/Twitter later on Sunday."There are zero reports of US service member deaths or injuries in the region. All personnel are accounted for," CENTCOM announced.Iran blames US military presence in region for strikesA spokesperson for Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Esmaeil Baghaei, demanded in a post on X/Twitter that Gulf nations "immediately cease allowing the United States to use their territories as launchpads for aggression against Iran."Mr. Spokesperson,This is not a “military confrontation.” It is the continuation of a blatant and unprovoked act of aggression initiated on 28 February by the United States and Israel.Iran does not “attack.” Iran's strikes on U.S. military bases and assets stationed in the… pic.twitter.com/KQVkc2DbZL— Esmaeil Baqaei (@IRIMFA_SPOX) July 12, 2026He blamed Iran's strikes on the US and the surrounding Gulf States, claiming that blame cannot fall on Iran for defending its sovereignty, and that the "aggressors" should be held "accountable for their egregious violation of international law.The strikes on Kuwait are a part of Iran's larger campaign against US bases in the Gulf region, wherein the Islamic regime attacked targets in Oman, Qatar, Jordan, and Bahrain, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announcing that its operations targeted logistical support centers for US naval vessels.The IRGC said its retaliatory operation is continuing.Reuters contributed to this report.