DUBAI: Bahrain condemned on Saturday the latest Iranian attack against its territory and neighboring Kuwait, saying the two Gulf countries intercepted seven missiles fired by Iran.
The Bahraini Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned what it described as “Iran's aggression against the Kingdom of Bahrain and the State of Kuwait, and affirms that security is not built with missiles nor is stability preserved by planting mines.”
“This blatant aggression constitutes a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of both countries,” it added.
The foreign ministry said they had been intercepted and called on Iran to immediately cease attacks on its Gulf neighbors.
Kuwait’s military said forces intercepted missiles and drones attacking the country.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it targeted the Ali Al Salem air base, which hosts US forces in Kuwait, and the US Navy’s 5th Fleet in the tiny Gulf island nation of Bahrain, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.
Kuwait on Saturday condemned the fresh attacks from Iran which it said were a “direct threat” to the “lives of citizens and residents.”
The Kuwaiti foreign ministry “affirms that these attacks constitute a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the state,” adding “they represent a dangerous escalation.”
The statements came hours after the US military said it shot down Iranian ballistic missiles and drones launched toward the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf Arab allies on Friday, while striking some of the Islamic Republic’s coastal surveillance radar sites in response, an exchange of fire that further frayed a shaky ceasefire with Tehran.
The exchange of strikes comes as the Trump administration ramps up pressure on Iran to make a deal to end the conflict.
US Central Command said on social media Friday night that Iran fired seven ballistic missiles toward Kuwait and Bahrain, with US forces intercepting six of the missiles and a seventh failing to reach its target. The military said there were no reports of harm to US personnel.
The ballistic missiles were fired after the US earlier in the day shot down four Iranian drones that were launched toward the Strait of Hormuz.
“The attack drones posed an immediate threat to regional maritime traffic,” US Central Command said on social media.
The US military is enforcing a blockade on Iranian ports in response to Tehran’s chokehold on the crucial corridor for global oil and natural gas shipments, which has sent energy prices spiking and posed political problems for President Donald Trump’s Republican Party ahead of the midterm congressional elections.
US Central Command said it hit the radar sites, including an island in the strait, “to defend against further attacks.”
* With AFP, Reuters and AP
