Iran's military said on July 31, 2026 that it launched drone strikes (unmanned aircraft used as flying bombs) on U.S. military bases in Kuwait, including Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base. Iran also said it struck U.S. facilities in Bahrain with missiles and drones in the same wave of attacks. Iran called the strikes payback for earlier U.S. strikes on Iranian soil. Press TV, Iran's state-run news channel, said the attacks were part of something called "Operation Nasr 2" and showed satellite images of damage to a U.S. base in Kuwait.

This is not a one-time event. Iran has been carrying out these attacks for weeks. IRNA, Iran's official news agency, reported on July 18 that Iran's army had used one-way attack drones — drones that fly to a target and blow up on impact — against U.S. bases in Jordan and Kuwait. The next day, IRNA gave details about strikes on Ali Al-Salem Air Base and Camp Udairi (also called Camp Buehring) in Kuwait, including a hit on a U.S. ammunition storage site. Fars News said some of these attacks were part of the 17th phase of "Operation Saeqeh." Press TV reported on July 12 that Iran's military launched coordinated missile and drone strikes on U.S. facilities in Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman. On July 13, Press TV said Iran launched more drone strikes on Kuwait in response to American attacks, and that the drones damaged communication systems, fuel tanks, Patriot air defense batteries (surface-to-air missile systems designed to shoot down incoming threats), and control towers at U.S. bases.

Iran says every strike is a response to U.S. military action. The United States confirmed that two American military personnel were killed by an Iranian attack, according to Reuters on July 18. Kuwait said Iran targeted important facilities and caused damage on July 16, and that Kuwaiti forces detected and intercepted 32 projectiles during that attack. Kuwaiti air defenses also intercepted Iranian ballistic missiles and drones on July 18. Earlier, AP News reported on June 28 that Iran attacked Bahrain and Kuwait with drones and missiles after U.S. airstrikes, and Reuters reported similar attacks on sites in Bahrain and Kuwait on July 8 following another round of U.S. strikes.

Kuwait has taken a heavy toll. Iranian drones hit Kuwait's main airport on June 3, badly damaging a passenger terminal, killing one person, and injuring more than 60, according to AP News and the New York Times. Kuwait's air defense forces have intercepted a total of 97 ballistic missiles (powerful guided missiles that travel through space before hitting their target) and 283 drones since the start of Iranian aggression, according to a March 1 report from KUNA, Kuwait's official news agency. By April 26, Kuwait's Army said the total drone count had climbed to 852. A Kuwaiti military spokesperson said on June 3 that the military intercepted 13 ballistic missiles and 17 drones during that day's attacks alone. Earlier numbers from March 7 showed 14 ballistic missiles and 23 drones intercepted in a 48-hour window, and on March 27, Kuwait intercepted four missiles and three drones in a single 24-hour period.

The Bigger Picture

The broader context here is that Iran and the United States are locked in an escalating back-and-forth of military strikes, and the countries caught in between — the Gulf states — are taking serious collateral damage. Iran's approach seems aimed at punishing the U.S. for keeping military forces stationed across the region, while describing each new round of attacks as self-defense. By sending both drones and ballistic missiles, Iran appears to be trying to overwhelm air defense systems like the Patriot batteries that Kuwait and other Gulf countries rely on.

Kuwait is especially exposed. It hosts major U.S. military bases including Ali Al-Salem Air Base, Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base, and Camp Buehring, all of which Iran has now claimed to strike. But Iranian weapons have also hit purely civilian targets in Kuwait, as the June 3 airport attack showed. The numbers tell a troubling story: from 283 drones intercepted by early March to 852 by late April, the pace of attacks has not slowed and may be getting worse.

The June 3 airport strike stands out. A passenger terminal was hit, dozens were injured, and one person died. This suggests either that Iran is deliberately expanding what it targets, or that its precision is degrading. Either way, the risk to ordinary people across the Gulf is rising.

The verified reporting does not include any ceasefire proposals (formal agreements to stop fighting), diplomatic initiatives, or de-escalation channels currently in play. What the record shows is a sustained military exchange with no sign of stopping.