WANA (Jun 03) – Early Wednesday, military facilities hosting U.S. forces across several  Persian Gulf countries, as well as the headquarters of anti-Iran separatist groups in Erbil, Iraq, came under missile and drone attacks launched by Iran. Tehran described the operation as a response to recent U.S. actions and what it called repeated violations of a ceasefire.

 

According to reports, tensions escalated on Tuesday evening after the U.S. military targeted a tanker in international waters that was reportedly heading toward Iran’s Khark Island. The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that it had struck the engine room of an empty Botswana-flagged tanker, bringing the vessel to a halt.

 

Iran subsequently responded by launching a missile attack on the Panaya, a vessel described by Iranian sources as an American-Israeli ship operating near the Strait of Hormuz. However, the confrontation did not end there. Reports later emerged claiming that U.S. forces had struck a military communications tower in southern Qeshm Island.

 

In response, Iran launched what it described as a large-scale deterrent operation against U.S.-related targets across the region. In Kuwait, the Ministry of Defense announced that the country was under attack by hostile missiles and drones, adding that air defense systems were actively engaging incoming threats. Authorities urged residents to follow official safety and security instructions.

Arab media outlets reported explosions in the Al-Surra area of southern Kuwait and at Ali Al Salem Air Base, which hosts U.S. military personnel. Reports also indicated that Camp Arifjan, another major U.S. military facility in Kuwait, had been struck by ballistic missiles.

 

In neighboring Bahrain, Al Jazeera reported the activation of air raid sirens and air defense systems. According to local reports, Al Jafri Base and the headquarters of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet were among the sites hit during the attacks.

 

Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports suggested powerful explosions at locations hosting U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Regional media claimed that military vessels operating off the UAE coast had been targeted by Iranian missiles and drones. Additional reports indicated that the U.S. bases of Al Dhafra, Al Safran, and Al Minhad in the UAE were also attacked.

 

Hours after the strikes began, CENTCOM issued a statement confirming that U.S. personnel and facilities across countries bordering the Persian Gulf had come under Iranian missile and drone attacks.

 

On another front, facilities belonging to anti-Iran armed separatist groups in Erbil, the capital of Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, reportedly remained under Iranian fire for several hours.