KUWAIT/MANAMA: Kuwait and Bahrain said their air defenses had responded to “hostile missile and drone attacks” early Thursday, hours after the Iranian military vowed to hit back in response to another round of US airstrikes against Iran.

“The General Staff of the Army notes that any explosions heard are a result of air defense systems intercepting hostile attacks,” the Kuwait military said in a post on X, without specifying their origin.

Explosions were heard in Bahrain’s capital on Thursday, an AFP correspondent in Manama said, moments after authorities sounded air raid sirens to warn of an attack.

At least one person was injured on Thursday, Kuwait’s defense ministry said, following the latest Iranian attack on the country.

“The injured individual is receiving the necessary medical care and is in stable condition,” defense ministry spokesman Col. Staff Saud Abdulaziz Al-Atwan said, adding that four missiles and 10 drones had been “successfully intercepted and neutralized” at dawn.

Qatar also issued an alert but the Ministry of Interior, in a statement carried by the Qatar News Agency, later announced “the end of the security threat.”

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin ​Abdulrahman al-Thani told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in a phone call on Thursday ‌that Iran ‌and ​the United ‌States ⁠should ​commit to ⁠diplomacy.

Al-Thani added that the Washington and Tehran should implement the signed memorandum ⁠of understanding aimed ‌at ‌ending the ​war, ‌the Qatari foreign ‌minister said.

The Qatari PM also held a call with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal Al Farhan, where they reviewed the latest developments in the military escalation between the US and Iran over the past two days, reiterating the need to resume dialogue and a halt to the hostilities. 

A Qatari ⁠tanker ⁠was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz earlier the week. Al-Thani condemned the attack in the call, the foreign ministry ​said.

The attacks came after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards vowed to retaliate following another round of US strikes on Iranian territory.

Iranian state media later reported that the Guards had launched missiles and drones targeting two US military bases in Kuwait and two in Bahrain.

The Bahrain Defence Force has said it will continue to defend itself against any further attacks from Iran.

In a statement posted on its X.com account the general command of the defence said: “The General Command of the Bahrain Defence Force announces that Iran continues its systematic aggressive approach through its sinful attacks using missiles and drones targeting civilians in the Kingdom of Bahrain.”

The statement went on to add that it clarified that: “with solid resolve and high combat readiness, the Air Defence systems of the Bahrain Defence Force intercepted and destroyed a number of treacherous Iranian aerial attacks this morning, Thursday, July 9, 2026.”

A day earlier, Kuwait’s military said it had intercepted two missiles and 13 drones launched from Iran, underscoring the growing frequency of cross-border attacks as the confrontation between Tehran and Washington intensifies.

The latest strikes follow Iranian attacks earlier this week on US military facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain, which drew widespread international condemnation and heightened concerns that the conflict could spread across the Gulf.

Saudi Arabia strongly condemned the attacks, describing them as violations of the sovereignty of Kuwait and Bahrain and breaches of international law. The Kingdom called on Iran to immediately halt what it described as repeated acts of aggression and warned that continued escalation threatened regional security and stability.

The United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan, Egypt and Oman also condemned the earlier attacks, urging restraint and renewed diplomatic efforts to prevent a wider regional conflict. China likewise called on both Washington and Tehran to avoid reigniting war and to return to dialogue.

The latest exchange comes as regional mediation efforts face mounting pressure after recent US-Iran understandings appeared to unravel following renewed military action. The conflict has also disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, where Iranian attacks on commercial vessels in recent days have further raised concerns over the security of one of the world’s busiest energy corridors.