'Time of hit-and-run is over': Iran targets US facilities in Kuwait, Bahrain; panic on roads caught on camera | Video

Tensions rose in the Persian Gulf overnight as Iran fired missiles and drones toward Kuwait and Bahrain. The multi-pronged barrage led to panic, activated air defence warning sirens, and sent commuters scrambling for safety across Kuwait’s highways.

In response to the attack, the United States launched airstrikes on Iranian military sites, further escalating the conflict.

In Kuwait, the assault turned an ordinary evening into a scene of absolute chaos. Wild footage shared widely on social media captures gridlocked traffic on a major Kuwaiti highway as air raid sirens wail in the background. Desperate motorists are seen abandoning their vehicles and fleeing on foot as anti-air interceptors streak into the night sky to meet the incoming threats.

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In the Ardhiya district, residential areas faced terrifying close calls when what appeared to be a failed air-defence interceptor came crashing back down, narrowly missing homes but intensifying panic.

The Kuwaiti military quickly issued emergency broadcasts urging the public to remain calm, head to the nearest safe shelter, and follow strict safety protocols.

Track our live coverage of the Iran war here.

A failed barrage met with US retaliation

According to a statement released by US Central Command (Centcom), the Iranian strike package completely failed to hit its intended targets.

Centcom confirmed that two ballistic missiles fired toward Kuwait either fell short or broke apart in transit. Meanwhile, a trio of missiles targeting Bahrain—home to the US Navy’s 5th Fleet—were successfully intercepted and destroyed by a combined effort from US and Bahraini air defence forces. Furthermore, American naval assets shot down three one-way attack drones launched by Iran that were tracking toward civilian commercial vessels in regional waters.

In immediate response to the attempted attacks, American forces conducted "self-defence strikes" against an Iranian military ground control station on Qeshm Island, located in the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Explosions were reported by local residents on the island shortly after.

"All Iranian attacks on American and partner forces failed," Centcom stated, adding that no US or allied personnel were harmed. "Centcom forces remain vigilant and ready to defend against unwarranted Iranian aggression during the ongoing ceasefire."

Regional fallout

The strikes come just hours after the US Navy disabled an unladen oil tanker bound for Iran's Kharg Island after it repeatedly ignored maritime warnings—part of an ongoing US naval blockade.

Kuwait’s Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, issued a blistering condemnation of Tehran, calling the strikes a "direct threat to civilians and critical infrastructure." Kuwaiti officials warned that the attacks undermine international stabilisation efforts and asserted Kuwait’s sovereign right under Article 51 of the UN Charter to take any necessary measures to protect its national security.