Army downs intruding drone in Persian Gulf
Iranian strike on US base in Kuwait injures five, damage two expensive UAVs
Iran has shot down a drone over Qeshm Island in the Persian Gulf, the Army said on Saturday amid renewed military tensions between Tehran and Washington, which pose a threat to a ceasefire in place since early April.
“The compact and lightweight drone belonging to the aggressor US-Zionist enemy was detected and shot down by the Army Air Defense Force,” a statement by the Army’s Public Relations Department read.
On Tuesday, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) also announced that its air defense units had brought down a US MQ-9 drone flying over Iran’s airspace in the Persian Gulf.
The IRGC added that its forces also fired at an RQ-4 drone and an intruding F-35 fighter jet, forcing them to leave Iran’s airspace.
Attack on Kuwait military base
Iran also responded to an attack on the port city of Bandar Abbas airport on Thursday by firing ballistic missiles at a US military base in neighboring Kuwait.
The IRGC said it had deliberately targeted the US base, noting that the site had been used to launch an earlier American attack.
The Guards vowed that any future acts of aggression would be met with a stronger response, saying that responsibility for any escalation would rest with the party initiating hostile actions.
According to a report by Bloomberg, the Iranian missile strike on the Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait has wounded five American service members and caused serious damage to two MQ-9 Reaper drones.
The report claimed Kuwaiti air defenses intercepted an Iranian Fateh-110 missile before it reached its intended target. However, debris from the intercepted projectile fell onto the US-operated Ali Al Salem Air Base, causing the injuries and damage.
Since April 8, Iran and the US have been observing a ceasefire mediated by Pakistan to give a chance to diplomacy to end the US-Israeli aggression against Iran.
The US and Israel waged a war against Iran on February 28, almost eight months after they carried out unprovoked attacks on the country.
Iran retaliated against the strikes by launching a barrage of missiles and drone attacks on the Israeli-occupied territories as well as on US bases in regional Arab countries.