The United States (US) has conducted military strikes against Iranian sites along the Gulf coast over the weekend. In response, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Monday that it targeted an air base utilized by the US military.
The exchange marks the latest escalation between the two nations during active negotiations to conclude a three-month-old conflict.
The US Central Command stated on X that the operation reacted to “aggressive Iranian actions that included the shootdown of a US MQ-1 drone that was operating over international waters”.
Centcom detailed the operation, stating that “US fighter aircraft swiftly responded by eliminating Iranian air defences, a ground control station, and two one-way attack drones that posed clear threats to ships transiting regional waters”. The command affirmed that it will maintain protection for US assets during the current ceasefire.
IRGC counter-claimed that its forces targeted an air base used for the strike on southern Iran, though the statement did not identify the specific location.
Concurrently, Kuwait’s state news agency, KUNA, reported that domestic air defences intercepted missile and drone attacks on Monday while sirens sounded across the country.
The conflict, initiated by the US and Israel on February 28, has resulted in thousands of casualties, primarily inside Iran and Lebanon.
The hostilities also triggered economic shifts by increasing energy prices following Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz. US President Donald Trump stated his primary objective is preventing Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon through highly enriched uranium, a capability Iran denies pursuing.
