Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) announced a series of missile and drone strikes targeting U.S. military assets across the Persian Gulf on Tuesday, escalating tensions between Tehran and Washington. The operation, described by the IRGC as the 24th wave of "Operation Nasr-2 (Victory-2)," was aimed at U.S. military infrastructure in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan in retaliation for what Tehran called continued American attacks on Iranian territory and civilian sites.

According to IRGC statements, the Aerospace Force conducted coordinated missile and drone strikes that destroyed a U.S. radar installation and an air defense system in Al-Muharraq, Bahrain. In Al-Riffa, a Patriot missile battery was reportedly hit and rendered inoperable. The IRGC characterized the attacks as a means to remove defensive obstacles ahead of broader military actions.

A subsequent phase targeted critical infrastructure, with cruise missiles striking a central data facility of Amazon in Bahrain, which the IRGC alleges supports U.S. operations in the region. In Kuwait, operations reportedly destroyed or severely damaged a long-range radar site, communications installations, satellite reception equipment, and an MQ-9 drone hangar at Ali Al Salem Air Base. The IRGC claimed several unmanned aerial vehicles were lost in the attack.

Additionally, the IRGC announced that a strike on a U.S. military compound in the Rukban area of Jordan resulted in casualties among American personnel. Separately, Iran’s Army Ground Force launched surface-to-surface missile attacks against U.S. HIMARS rocket systems at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait, describing the action as retaliation for recent U.S. strikes within Iran, under the banner of "Operation Thunderbolt."

These military operations coincided with visits by senior IRGC commanders to frontline positions along Iran’s southern coast and strategic islands near the Strait of Hormuz. Brigadier General Mohammad Karami, commander of the IRGC Ground Force, emphasized ongoing vigilance, combat readiness, and enhanced defensive capabilities as crucial to the security of the Persian Gulf region.

Maritime activity also intensified, with the IRGC Navy reporting that two commercial tankers caught fire while attempting to transit an "unsafe southern shipping corridor" in the Strait of Hormuz; crews were evacuated safely. Iranian authorities further stated that a Kuwaiti oil tanker, navigating through a U.S.-designated maritime route, was intercepted after allegedly disabling its Automatic Identification System. Iranian officials reiterated that commercial vessels navigating in coordination with Tehran continue safe passage, while those attempting alternative routes face heightened risks.

These developments come in the context of recent heightened military exchanges following repeated U.S. airstrikes inside Iran. Iranian officials have condemned these actions as breaches of a Pakistan-brokered Memorandum of Understanding signed on June 17, which was intended to de-escalate hostilities and facilitate renewed diplomatic talks. Tehran has signaled that its military campaign will persist as long as U.S. attacks continue, with further phases of Operation Nasr-2 reportedly in preparation.

The ongoing confrontation has raised concerns over regional stability, the safety of commercial shipping lanes, and the security of global energy supplies, given the strategic importance of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz as critical maritime corridors.