Explosions were heard near Kuwait International Airport and in Bahrain's capital Manama on Saturday, AFP correspondents reported, shortly after Iran's Revolutionary Guards announced they had struck "enemy bases" in the region.
"Repeated explosion sounds were heard in areas close to Kuwait International Airport," one AFP correspondent reported, while another described "explosions and interceptions" in Manama, where air raid sirens were triggered.
The Iranian strikes came in retaliation for American bombardments of radar installations on Iranian soil, the Revolutionary Guards said — marking a significant escalation in the conflict between Tehran and Washington that has been reshaping the Middle East since February.
The targeting of Gulf states, home to major US military installations, signals that Iran is widening its theatre of operations beyond its immediate borders — a dangerous development for regional stability and global energy markets, given the Gulf's critical role in oil and gas exports.
Further details on casualties and damage were not immediately available.