Just hours after US President Donald Trump warned that the US could “finish the job militarily,” Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed on Sunday that it had launched overnight attacks on US military bases in Bahrain and Kuwait.
The IRGC also warned that if Washington continued its military operations, ongoing talks with the US could be “completely terminated.”
In a statement published in the state-run newspaper Iran, Tehran issued its sternest warning yet regarding the future of the interim agreement with the US. Under this agreement, both nations were required to hold talks within 60 days to seek a permanent resolution to the conflict.
According to an AP report, the IRGC claimed that its overnight strikes targeted the headquarters of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain and the Al-Asad Air Base in Kuwait. However, these claims have not yet been independently verified.
The Guard stated, “The enemy must know that a violation of the ceasefire… will completely halt ongoing processes.”
The Kuwaiti military stated that its air defense systems intercepted drones and missiles coming from Iran, adding that there were no immediate reports of damage. The country hosts a major US military base.
Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry condemned the action, describing it as a “dangerous escalation.” The ministry stated that Tehran’s actions were not merely fleeting or isolated incidents, but rather a deliberate strategy and systematic pattern of repeated aggression against the state’s sovereignty and the safety of its citizens and residents.
US Military Launches Another Round of Strikes
Bahrain, which hosts the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, has repeatedly faced attacks on its naval base during the conflict. Earlier, the US military announced that it had carried out another round of strikes against Iran. This action followed, within hours, an attack on a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz—the world’s busiest oil shipping route, which Iran had largely blocked during the conflict.
US Central Command had previously stated that its forces launched another round of strikes after a Panama-flagged tanker was targeted by an Iranian drone on Saturday.
In a statement, Central Command said, “Iran was allowed to honor the ceasefire agreement, but failed to do so.” It added that these strikes were a “direct response to Iran’s continued aggression against commercial vessels” and targeted Iran’s military surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defense sites, drone storage facilities, and mine-laying capabilities.
On Saturday, Trump wrote on social media, “There may come a time when we cannot act with restraint and might have to complete the task we began so successfully through military means. If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will cease to exist!”
Meanwhile, Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB reported that sounds of explosions were heard in Sirik, southern Iran, but provided no further details. The Revolutionary Guards stated, “Indiscriminate US attacks on Sirik will not end our dominance over the Strait of Hormuz. However, our strikes against those who break the rules will remind other vessels of the need for a clear passage.”
US-Iran 14-point Interim Agreement
The 14-point interim agreement between the US and Iran aimed to halt the hostilities that had erupted following the launch of a military operation by the US and Israel on February 28. It also sought to resume shipping through the Strait of Hormuz while both sides negotiated on long-standing issues, including Iran’s nuclear program.
A round of talks took place in Switzerland last week, led by US Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. Following the meeting, Washington eased sanctions on Tehran. However, skirmishes have since resumed, with both sides trading accusations and escalating military action.
(With agency inputs)