Brussels: Iran's army announced on Friday that it had targeted American military facilities in the Gulf states of Jordan and Kuwait using attack drones, with reports of explosions at the US Fifth Fleet base in Bahrain. The military actions were conducted during the 14th phase of Iran's Operation Thunder, according to a statement carried by the semi-official Tasnim News Agency.

According to Anadolu Agency, the Iranian army claimed that the strikes were aimed at significant US operational hubs, including an ammunition depot at Al-Adire camp and various facilities at Al-Salem base in Kuwait. Additionally, fuel tanks at the Al-Azraq air base in Jordan were reportedly targeted. Arab sources cited by Tasnim reported powerful explosions at the US Fifth Fleet base in Bahrain as a result of the Iranian attacks.

Iranian military officials described these sites as crucial US logistical and operational hubs, cautioning that any country attempting to challenge Iran's resolve would encounter the "unwavering" readiness of its armed forces. In a related development, early Saturday reports from the state-run IRNA news agency indicated that Iran had launched the 15th phase of Operation Lightning, targeting US military facilities at Bahrain's Sheikh Isa Air Base with attack drones.

The reports detailed that the strikes on Sheikh Isa Air Base targeted aircraft hangars and parking areas, fuel tanks, and several communications links. Iran characterized the base as one of the US military's key operational and logistical hubs for air and naval forces in the region. The Iranian army stated that these operations were a response to what it termed "the crimes of global arrogance" and were conducted in memory of those killed, particularly in Iran's southern regions.

In response to these developments, Bahrain's Interior Ministry issued warnings via US social media platform X, advising citizens and residents to "remain calm and head to the nearest safe place" after sounding the alarm siren. The tensions in the region, particularly over the Strait of Hormuz, have been escalating as the US and Iran continue to engage in attacks despite a Pakistani-brokered framework agreement signed last month aimed at ending hostilities and achieving a lasting peace deal.