The Iranian army announced it carried out a drone strike on the Ahmed al-Jaber Air Base in Kuwait, a key hub for U.S. air operations. In a statement, the army's Public Relations Office said the attack was retaliation for a U.S. airstrike on a home on Qeshm Island that killed a family.
According to the statement, the strike was recorded as the 27th phase of "Operation Sa'eqeh." The drones in flight targeted aircraft shelters, satellite communication systems and equipment storage facilities at the base. The Ahmed al-Jaber base was described as a critical facility for U.S. air and surveillance activities and logistical support for American forces.
The Iranian army called the U.S. attack on civilian homes on Qeshm Island "a clear violation of humanitarian principles and another example of the enemy's war crimes." The statement said, "Crimes, sanctions and threats will only make Iran more united and cohesive in its sacred defense."
It was asserted that the "decisive, comprehensive and heavy" attacks carried out by the army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps made intercepting Iranian drones and missiles "very costly and difficult" despite the U.S.'s advanced air defense systems. The statement also claimed the Washington administration imposed strict censorship to prevent information about damage, losses and casualties from reaching the public.
Iran's retaliation came after a deadly U.S. airstrike on a home on Qeshm Island on Thursday. A local official had reported that a mother, father and their 2-year-old son were killed, while two children were pulled alive from the rubble and hospitalized. It was noted that the father was a taxi driver and the neighborhood was a working-class residential area.
