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Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has said it carried out a series of strikes on US military facilities in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan, as the United States reiterated its military readiness while signaling continued openness to negotiations. The claims, reported by Al Jazeera and Russia's TASS news agency, come amid escalating hostilities that began in early July and have drawn in multiple Gulf states.
Coverage Comparison
Al Jazeera's coverage has focused on the rapid escalation, with reports on July 13 stating that Iran launched attacks on US military bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan. Later updates on July 25 noted that the US remains 'locked and loaded' while pursuing talks with Iran, as Tehran reported strikes on US bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan. A separate Al Jazeera report from July 31 quoted the IRGC as saying it targeted a US base in Kuwait in response to US attacks on Thursday, and mentioned that US strikes included one on a building on Qeshm island that killed a couple and their two-year-old child.
TASS, the Russian state news agency, has reported details of IRGC statements, including a claim on July 24 that Iran destroyed three US ammunition depots in Kuwait and struck an observation tower used by the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain. Another TASS report from July 24 quoted the IRGC urging civilians in Middle Eastern countries to stay at least 500 meters away from US military bases, and called on citizens to inform the IRGC about US base locations via a special Telegram account and website section.
Earlier TASS reports, dated July 20, described a three-phase attack using drones and missiles targeting US drone storage and maintenance depots at Sakhir airport in Bahrain, hangars at the port of Salman, and storage and maintenance hangars at the Arifjan base in Kuwait. A July 30 TASS report said the IRGC had struck two drone hangars and an aviation fuel tank at the US airbase in Ali al-Salem, Kuwait, as part of "Operation Victory 2," and vowed to continue strikes until a complete expulsion of the United States from the region.
The two outlets have presented the events with similar factual content, though TASS's framing tends to use language such as "aggression" and "retaliatory strikes," while Al Jazeera has maintained a neutral tone. Both have attributed the escalation to a cycle of US strikes and Iranian responses.
Key Claims
- The US has conducted strikes on Iran in response to an attack on a merchant ship in the Strait of Hormuz, according to TASS reports. The US claimed the July 8 strikes were retaliation for the vessel attack, and President Donald Trump declared the ceasefire with Iran over the same day.
- Iran's IRGC has claimed strikes on US military infrastructure in Kuwait and Bahrain, including ammunition depots, drone hangars, fuel tanks, and an observation tower. These claims are reported by TASS and Al Jazeera.
- The IRGC has said it attacked US forces in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan, according to Al Jazeera reports.
- Iran used drones and missiles in the attacks, as stated in an IRGC statement quoted by TASS.
- The US strikes on Iran included one on a building on Qeshm island, which Al Jazeera reported killed a couple and their two-year-old child.
- US President Donald Trump has said that Iran's bridges and power plants are possible targets, as reported by Al Jazeera.
- The IRGC has called on civilians to stay away from US military bases and to provide information about their locations, according to TASS.
- The IRGC has said it will continue strikes on US infrastructure until the United States is expelled from the region, as reported by TASS.
- The US delivered strikes on southern Iran on the night of July 29 after a six-day pause, according to TASS.