US CENTCOM intercepts Iranian missiles, drones targeting Bahrain and Kuwait

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Friday that American forces had successfully intercepted several Iranian ballistic missiles and drones launched in the Strait of Hormuz area against neighboring Arab Gulf states.

The U.S. military reported that the Iranian regime fired seven ballistic missiles against Bahrain and Kuwait just hours after the U.S. destroyed four of Iran's attack drones launched toward the Strait of Hormuz.

The U.S. has warned that the Iranian drones constitute a direct security danger to maritime traffic in the area.

"Initial assessments indicate six of the missiles launched by Iran were intercepted and a seventh did not reach its intended target. There are currently no reports of harm to US personnel, and Iranian claims of damaging U.S. 5th Fleet headquarters in Bahrain are false. CENTCOM forces remain vigilant and postured to continue responding to unwarranted Iranian aggression in self-defense," CENTCOM said in an official statement.

The latest clashes come amid efforts to find a diplomatic solution to end the war between Iran and the United States. U.S. President Donald Trump has signaled that he prefers diplomacy while stressing that all options are on the table to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and to address tensions over the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran effectively controls.

Pakistan and other mediating countries have tried to save the fragile ceasefire between Tehran and Washington amid mutual threats. In late May, U.S. forces struck Iranian missile sites and vessels in what Washington described as an act of “self-defense” in the Persian Gulf.

“U.S. forces conducted self-defense strikes in southern Iran today to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces,” CENTCOM Spokesperson Col. Tim Hawkins stated.

“Targets included missile launch sites and Iranian boats attempting to emplace mines. U.S. Central Command continues to defend our forces while using restraint during the ongoing ceasefire,” he continued.

Trump has demanded on multiple occasions that the highly enriched uranium in Tehran’s possession must be either transferred to the United States or destroyed.

“The Enriched Uranium (Nuclear Dust!) will either be immediately turned over to the United States to be brought home and destroyed or, preferably, in conjunction and coordination with the Islamic Republic of Iran, destroyed in place or, at another acceptable location, with the Atomic Energy Commission, or its equivalent, being witness to this process and event,” Trump wrote last month on his Truth Social account.

However, the Iranian regime has so far officially refused to give up its highly-enriched uranium or end its nuclear program.

A recent report from the UN's Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) revealed that the UN nuclear watchdog has reportedly has been unable to inspect Iranian nuclear facilities since the 12-day Iran-Israel war last June. The IAEA warned that the Iranian nuclear threat has increased due to the absence of inspections of Tehran’s nuclear facilities.

The Iranian ayatollah regime openly calls for Israel’s destruction and has chanted “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” for decades. Tehran officially denies that it seeks nuclear weapons. However, the Iranian regime has insisted on keeping its nuclear program covert and enriching uranium at near military level, which does not have any civilian applications.