Trump Hits Iran, Tehran Hits Back: U.S. Bases in Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait Targeted

Iran launched a broad wave of retaliatory attacks against U.S. military positions across the Middle East after American forces carried out strikes on Iranian targets in response to the downing of a U.S. Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz.

The latest escalation began after President Donald Trump accused Iran of shooting down the helicopter while it was conducting a patrol mission over the strategic waterway. Although the two crew members were rescued safely and the exact cause of the crash remains under investigation, Trump declared that the United States would respond militarily. Soon afterward, U.S. Central Command confirmed a series of strikes targeting Iranian air defense systems, radar installations, surveillance sites, and ground control facilities near the Strait of Hormuz. CENTCOM described the operation as “a proportional response” to what it called Iranian aggression and attacks threatening U.S. forces and international shipping.

Explosions were reported across several locations in southern Iran, including Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island, Jask, Sirik, Minab, and Ahvaz, as American fighter jets carried out multiple waves of attacks. U.S. officials later announced that the operation had been completed.

Tehran quickly vowed retaliation. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that the United States had chosen to test Iran’s resolve and declared, “Leave our region if you want to be safe.” He also argued that foreign military forces operating near Iranian territory were at constant risk and should withdraw from the region.

Hours later, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards launched missiles and drones at U.S. military facilities across the Gulf. Iranian state media reported strikes targeting American bases in Jordan, Kuwait, and Bahrain, including command centers and aircraft facilities. The Guards warned that any further U.S. action would trigger a “crushing and decisive” response.

Jordanian authorities said their air defenses intercepted five missiles fired toward the al-Azraq area, where the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base hosts American military assets, including F-35 fighter jets. The military reported no casualties or damage, although debris from the interceptions landed on Jordanian territory.

Air raid sirens also sounded repeatedly in Bahrain after Iranian forces claimed responsibility for attacks on the Gulf kingdom, which hosts the headquarters of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet. Bahraini authorities urged residents to seek shelter, while Iran stated that both ballistic missiles and drones had been launched toward American facilities there.

Kuwait likewise activated its air defense systems and reported engaging hostile aerial targets, although officials did not immediately provide details about the origin of the threats.

At the same time, Iran’s Foreign Ministry issued a warning to Gulf countries, arguing that nations along the Persian Gulf have a “legal and moral responsibility” to prevent the United States and Israel from using their territory to support military operations against Iran.

The confrontation marks a sharp deterioration in regional tensions and comes just days after renewed exchanges of fire involving Iran and Israel. Despite recent suggestions from Trump that negotiations with Tehran remained possible, the helicopter incident has pushed both sides into a new cycle of direct military retaliation, raising fears of a broader conflict across the Middle East.