Iran Strikes US Bases In Kuwait Amid Gulf War
Iranian forces launched drone and missile attacks on American military installations in Kuwait, escalating a widening regional conflict
Iran's military army stated it attacked two American military bases in Kuwait on Sunday, as it launched a drive against American assets in the Gulf. The strikes come weeks after escalating tit-for-tat titters between Bahrain, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, as a delicate ceasefire is coming to an end and regional governments have condemned Tehran for its actions.
AdvertisementContext: A Widening Confrontation
Iran's army claimed on Sunday it had attacked two American military bases in Kuwait as a response to the U.S. attacks on Iranian civilian facilities. The army's Public Relations Department said the operation comprised explosive drones that were fired against the US ammunition depot at al-Adiri Camp as well as Patriot missile systems and air surveillance radars at Ali Al Salem Air Base. Al Jazeera
al-Adiri Camp is a key logistical point for the American military, about 104 kilometres from Iran's border, and Ali Al Salem serves as the head of the airlift station for the US military to deploy troops in West Asia, the Iranian military said.
AdvertisementEscalation cycle — the process of each side reacting in response to the other's response, the retaliatory act escalating further and further the level of conflict.
The strike on Sunday is not a one-off. Ballistic missiles have been fired at the positions of the United States in Kuwait, where explosions were reported near the border with Iraq, and separate waves of attacks have been made on Bahrain, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
Drones attacked ammunition depots and communication facilities at Ali Al Salem and caused a fire at a power generation and water treatment plant in Kuwait, the Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy Ministry said.
Regional Response
Diplomatic rebuke is a first for a joint effort. The statements condemn Iran's missile and drone attacks and were issued by the governments of the US, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. It said the "unjustified strikes" had been aimed at "sovereign territory, civilian populations and civilian infrastructure.
AdvertisementIranian authorities, on the other hand, have indicated that they plan to take no steps back. If America resumes attacks on Iranian territory, Tehran will enter a new level of "full-scale offensive operations," said one of the country's top advisors to Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Why It Matters
Kuwait has one of the highest concentrations of U.S. logistical infrastructure in the Gulf, and any disruption there will have consequences for the U.S. force posture throughout West Asia.
The Saudi involvement, which was reported after the country was hit for the first time in months, is an indicator showing that the conflict has spread beyond its original front lines. Instability in the infrastructure of Kuwait and Bahrain directly affects the Indian economy because it imports a substantial amount of crude oil and remittances from the Gulf countries.
Outlook
That peace has been broken and is now in shambles after weeks, along with the Gulf States giving a unified condemnatory statement, spells more fighting than deescalation down the road unless there is more diplomatic intervention.
