85 US Military Targets Hit By Iran In Bahrain, Kuwait In Retaliation For American Attacks: 'Crushing Response'
85 US Military Targets Hit By Iran In Bahrain, Kuwait In Retaliation For American Attacks: 'Crushing Response' Published By, Last Updated: July 08, 2026, 11:28
85 US Military Targets Hit By Iran In Bahrain, Kuwait In Retaliation For American Attacks: 'Crushing Response' Published By, Last Updated: July 08, 2026, 11:28 IST CENTCOM said US forces struck more than 80 targets across Iran. These included Iranian air defence systems, command and control networks, coastal radar sites. Kuwait Airport Hit By Iranian Drones | File image credit: AFP The conflict between the United States and Iran has intensified after Tehran claimed it launched retaliatory attacks on 85 sites linked to US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait. The move came after the United States said it had struck more than 80 targets across Iran. According to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), the military operation began on Tuesday in response to alleged Iranian attacks on three civilian-crewed commercial ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has neither confirmed nor denied carrying out those attacks. US says over 80 targets were hit CENTCOM said US forces struck more than 80 targets across Iran.
These included Iranian air defence systems, command and control networks, coastal radar sites and anti-ship missile capabilities. The US military also said more than 60 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) small boats were targeted to weaken Iran’s ability to attack international commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state media later reported multiple explosions in Bandar Abbas, Sirik Port, Qeshm Island and Kharg Island. Iran’s IRIB state broadcaster claimed that most of the strikes hit civilian areas. It also said shrapnel from a projectile at the Sirik commercial pier injured several people. Iran warns of ‘crushing response’ Iran’s Khatam-al-Anbiya Central Headquarters condemned the US operation, describing it as a “blatant act of aggression". The military warned that Iran’s armed forces would deliver a “crushing response" to the attacks. It also declared that it would not allow any outside interference in the Strait of Hormuz, adding that the only safe route for commercial ships and oil tankers is the one designated by the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Iran claims retaliation against US bases In what it described as its initial response, the IRGC said its naval and aerospace forces carried out a joint missile and drone operation targeting 85 sites connected to key US military facilities. According to the IRGC, the strikes targeted the US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain and Ali Al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait. The force said the operation was launched after US air attacks on coastal bases and non-military sites in Hormozgan and Mahshahr earlier in the day. The latest military escalation comes as funeral ceremonies for former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei continue. The IRGC alleged that Washington launched the attacks to overshadow the funeral procession of Iran’s late leader. The exchange of strikes marks a sharp escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran, with both sides linking their military actions to events in and around the Strait of Hormuz. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author Shuddhanta Patra Shuddhanta Patra, a seasoned journalist with eight years of experience, serves as Senior Sub‑Editor at CNN News 18.
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