Kehinde Victor | Sep 5, 2026
KEY POINTS
- Iran’s Army launched missile and drone strikes against U.S. positions at Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base in Kuwait and Al Minhad Air Base in the UAE.
- Tehran claimed the strikes retaliated for recent U.S. attacks that killed 18 people and injured 142 others in Iran.
- Kuwait condemned the strikes as a direct threat to its sovereignty and cited UN Security Council Resolution 2817 in reserving its right to respond.
MAIN STORY
Iran’s Army announced on Thursday that its forces launched missile and kamikaze drone strikes against U.S. military installations in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates in retaliation for recent U.S. strikes against Iranian targets.
The Iranian military targeted satellite communications systems, equipment warehouses, and a fighter aircraft hangar at Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base in Kuwait, alongside U.S. troop positions and radar installations at Al Minhad Air Base in the UAE.
“Our forces hit U.S. satellite communications systems, equipment warehouses and a fighter aircraft hangar at Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base in Kuwait, damaging communications systems and the hangar,” stated the Iranian Army.
The strikes followed a U.S. Central Command statement confirming a wave of strikes against Iranian military targets. Iranian Health Ministry officials reported 18 deaths and 142 injuries from U.S. attacks between August 30 and September 2. Iran subsequently targeted U.S. assets across Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq’s Kurdistan region, and the UAE.
Kuwait intercepted part of the barrage but denounced the dawn attack as a flagrant breach of its sovereignty and international law.
THE ISSUES
The exchange represents a sharp escalation in regional conflict following the breakdown of a June memorandum of understanding intended to secure maritime routes and halt cross-border strikes. Gulf nations continue to face collateral risks as Iran responds to U.S. military operations by targeting regional hosts of U.S. force deployments.
WHAT’S BEING SAID
- “The latest strike at dawn posed a direct threat to the country’s security and stability while constituent of a grave breach of international law, the UN Charter, and Resolution 2817,” said the Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry.
- “The attacks will continue until Iran achieves the ultimate victory and punishes the aggressor,” said Iran’s Army in an official website statement.
WHAT’S NEXT
- Kuwait noted it reserves its full right under Article 51 of the UN Charter to take all necessary measures to defend its territory.
- U.S. and UAE officials are assessing operational readiness and diplomatic responses following high-level discussions between President Donald Trump and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
BOTTOM LINE
Iran’s direct retaliatory strikes on U.S. assets in Kuwait and the UAE risk dragging Gulf Cooperation Council states deeper into a broader regional war despite ongoing diplomatic efforts to de-escalate.
