Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps damaged U.S. military installations across the Persian Gulf region on Wednesday [1].

These claims signal a significant escalation in regional tensions, as Tehran justifies direct military action against U.S. assets and allied sovereign nations.

During a briefing, Araghchi said that the IRGC targeted four sites at the al-Azraq base [1]. He also defended strikes carried out against Kuwait and Bahrain, describing the actions as self-defense against U.S. attacks [3].

While Araghchi said that the IRGC successfully damaged these installations, other reports indicate that aerial attacks were intercepted. Jordan reported that it intercepted and shot down five missiles from Iran [1].

Araghchi said that Tehran prefers diplomacy to resolve current conflicts. However, he also signaled that Iran remains ready to fight if necessary [2].

The strikes appear to be a response to ongoing tensions and specific U.S. threats. Araghchi said the operations were intended to signal Iran's readiness to defend its interests in the region [2].

“Tehran prefers diplomacy but is ready to fight”

The contradictory reports between Iran's claims of success and Jordan's reports of interceptions highlight a volatile information war. By framing attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain as self-defence, Iran is attempting to legitimize the violation of third-party sovereignty as a necessary byproduct of its conflict with the U.S.