Tehran (TDI): Iran’s army on Friday claimed it had carried out a drone attack on strategic US facilities at Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base in Kuwait, as tensions continued to escalate across the Middle East.
According to an Iranian army statement, explosive drones targeted fighter aircraft hangars, satellite communication systems and equipment warehouses at the base. Tehran described Ahmed Al Jaber as a key hub for US aerial surveillance and logistical operations.
There was no immediate comment from Kuwait or the United States confirming the reported attack. Meanwhile, Iran received the bodies of five Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) members killed in recent US and Saudi strikes on command centres of Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces. The bodies were brought into Iran through the Mehran border crossing.
Iraq has rejected claims that it facilitated recent US and Saudi air strikes against Iran-aligned groups inside the country. Iraqi government spokesman Haider al-Aboudi said Baghdad neither authorised nor had prior knowledge of the attacks and would not allow Iraqi territory to be used to target neighbouring countries.
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He said the strikes hit seven Iraqi provinces, killing more than 18 members of the Popular Mobilisation Forces and injuring 20 others. According to Aboudi, Iraqi investigative committees had found no evidence supporting Saudi claims that attacks on its petroleum facilities had been launched from Iraqi territory. Baghdad has asked Riyadh to provide the security information behind those allegations.
The Iraqi government has also reiterated that September 30 remains the deadline for ending the presence of the US-led international coalition against Daesh in Iraq.
Saudi Arabia has said its strikes were carried out in self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter, while US President Donald Trump has claimed the operation was coordinated with Baghdad. Iraq has repeatedly denied that assertion.
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Moreover, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has also stepped up diplomatic pressure on European countries allowing US military assets to operate from their territory. During a phone call with Bulgarian Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova-Chamova, Araghchi criticized Sofia’s decision to permit the temporary deployment of up to eight US KC-135 tanker aircraft and 250 personnel at Bezmer air base. Iran has warned countries allowing their territory to be used for US military operations that they could face consequences.
Araghchi separately spoke with Cyprus’s Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos and stressed the importance of preventing foreign military bases in Cyprus from being used against Iran.
