Iran Strikes U.S. Targets in Gulf as Washington Probes Deadly Wedding Attack
Iran has launched missile and drone strikes at U.S. military targets in the Gulf, including a base in Kuwait, as tensions escalate following a deadly attack on a wedding in southern Iran that Tehran has blamed on Washington.
Kuwait’s military said it intercepted Iranian missiles and drones targeting the country on Thursday, while Iran’s armed forces claimed responsibility for striking U.S. assets at Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base.
Iran also said it targeted Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates, although Emirati authorities did not report an attack on the facility.
The latest escalation followed a U.S. strike on Tuesday that hit a residential building in Kuhestak, southern Iran, where a wedding was taking place. Iranian authorities said the attack killed at least five people and injured about 67 others, including women and children.
The United States has launched an investigation into the incident. Vice President JD Vance said Washington was reviewing what happened, while U.S. officials maintained that American forces do not deliberately target civilians.
However, a Reuters analysis of verified images and videos, backed by weapons experts, found that the damage at the wedding site was likely caused by a direct hit from a U.S. munition. The wedding venue was located close to a communications tower that U.S. forces had targeted.
Iranian officials have vowed retaliation over the civilian deaths, intensifying the already volatile confrontation between Tehran and Washington.
The renewed fighting began after U.S. military operations against Iranian air-defence, communications and maritime targets, with Washington seeking to counter Iran’s restrictions on shipping through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has since retaliated with missile and drone attacks against U.S. forces and installations across parts of the Middle East, including Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Jordan and Iraq’s Kurdistan region.
Kuwait condemned the attack on its territory as a serious violation of international law, while regional governments have heightened security around American military facilities.
The conflict has also raised concerns over global energy supplies, with the Strait of Hormuz remaining a critical route for international oil shipments.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed confidence that Iran’s government is under severe pressure and could eventually collapse, while Israeli officials have warned of a forceful response if Tehran attacks Israel.
Washington has also intensified economic pressure on Iran, with the Trump administration threatening additional sanctions against countries and businesses that continue to support Iranian trade.
The latest escalation has further complicated efforts to contain the conflict, as civilians on both sides face the consequences of renewed military confrontation and uncertainty grows over the prospects for a diplomatic settlement.
