As the armed conflict between the United States and Iran entered its 14th day, Iran announced that it had struck US military bases in Kuwait and other locations. The action was retaliation for US airstrikes that had expanded their range from southern Iran to the central-western interior.
On the 24th, the Iranian military stated in a statement that "as part of the 25th phase of the 'Thunder' operation, we struck major US military bases located in Kuwait, including Al Duha, Al Adire, and Oreifjan, with drones."
The Iranian military said it deployed "Arash" drones in the operation that day, and explained that it precisely struck the US military equipment storage facility at the Al Adire base, the US troop garrison at the Al Duha base, and the garrison at the Oreifjan camp. The Arash drone is a long-range suicide drone that the Iranian Army deployed operationally in 2020, with a maximum flight range of 2,000 kilometers and a maximum warhead weight of 150 kilograms.
The Iranian military said, "The threats posed by the US President only strengthen the resolve and will of the Iranian people and the armed forces," adding, "Reckless adventurism or attempts to open a new front are nothing more than repeating and prolonging the enemy's strategic mistakes."
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also later claimed in a separate statement, "Our warriors engulfed three ammunition and equipment storage warehouses inside the Al Adire US base in flames, and struck the watchtower of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, causing massive damage."
The Revolutionary Guard also, in a message to residents of countries hosting US military bases, said, "US military officers and soldiers are continuing their criminal acts by using ordinary buildings within cities as hideouts," and advised, "For their safety, ordinary civilians in countries where US forces are stationed should immediately evacuate to a distance of at least 500 meters from locations where US military personnel are present."
That day, multiple explosions were also heard near Erbil Airport in Iraq's Kurdish autonomous region, where the US-led international coalition is stationed, AFP reported. According to AP, at least seven explosions were heard around 9:30 a.m. that day, and black smoke rose from at least four locations. In addition, missile air raid sirens sounded twice in Bahrain that morning.
Earlier, US Central Command announced on the 23rd that it had completed a nighttime airstrike lasting about two hours and 15 minutes. Central Command said it had targeted Iran's maritime forces, including military command posts, drone storage facilities, communication networks, and coastal surveillance bases, in order to secure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
That day, explosions were heard successively across Iran, centered on Hormozgan Province, which borders the Strait of Hormuz. In Bandar Abbas, a major port in southern Iran, multiple explosions were heard around 2:30 a.m. Iranian time. Hormozgan Province authorities said that debris fell on a building in Tepe Ala Akbar in Bandar Abbas, injuring two people.
On Qeshm Island, a key energy logistics hub at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, an explosion believed to be a missile attack occurred. Ahvaz, the capital of Khuzestan Province in southwestern Iran, and nearby Andimeshk and Omidiyeh were also struck by US missile attacks, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency and others reported. Missiles also fell on Khandab in Markazi Province in central-western Iran and Khorramabad, the capital of Lorestan Province in the west, causing large explosions. The US thus expanded the range of its airstrikes from southern Iran to the central-western interior.
The airstrikes that day came amid heightened tensions after US President Donald Trump said he was "considering a large-scale attack" on Iran, "a bigger attack than ever before."
