TEHRAN: IRGC US bases strike claims escalated Gulf tensions on Wednesday as Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they hit 85 US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said its Navy and Aerospace Force carried out a joint missile and drone operation overnight, according to a statement carried by state broadcaster IRIB.
The IRGC said the operation came in response to US strikes on Iran and also claimed it shot down an MQ-9 drone.
Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters had earlier warned that Iran’s armed forces would deliver a “crushing response” to what it called a blatant act of aggression.
Iranian state broadcaster on Wednesday released footage of missile and drone strikes carried out by the IRGC naval and aerospace forces against US targets in Bahrain and Kuwait, describing the attacks as retaliation for "aggression and breach of promise by the terrorist US army." pic.twitter.com/ceEoo6PxAb
— Rudaw English (@RudawEnglish) July 8, 2026US Central Command said it hit more than 80 targets in Iran after attacks on three tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.
CENTCOM said the strikes targeted more than 60 small boats linked to the IRGC to reduce Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping.
A US official told Reuters the strikes also targeted Iranian air defence systems, coastal surveillance systems, surface-to-air missiles, anti-ship cruise missiles and drone launch sites.
BREAKING: US announces it has hit over 80 targets with precision munitions in tonight's strikes on Iran, including more than 60 IRGC speed boats in and near the Strait of Hormuz, per CENTCOM.
US strikes also targeted Iranian air defense systems, command and control networks,… pic.twitter.com/bUEkJGo374
— The Hormuz Letter (@HormuzLetter) July 8, 2026Iranian media reported explosions early Wednesday on Kharg Island, Qeshm Island and in the southern port cities of Sirik and Bandar Abbas.
Read: US-Iran Ceasefire ‘Over,’ Trump Says After New Strikes
Iranian state TV said several people were injured by shrapnel after an enemy projectile hit a commercial pier in Sirik.
Washington also revoked a licence allowing Iran to sell crude oil and petrochemical products under an interim agreement, giving Tehran until July 17 to wind down transactions.
Kuwait condemned what it called repeated Iranian attacks on its territory and said they undermined regional de-escalation efforts.
