Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Thursday that it had carried out strikes on US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait in retaliation for recent American attacks on Iranian territory, as tensions in the Gulf escalated further.

In a statement carried by Iran's state-run IRNA news agency, the IRGC said it targeted 18 "important targets" linked to the US military in two waves of operations. The statement said ‘bases of Ali and Ahmad Ahmad Air Force’ were hit.

The IRGC also claimed that it had struck and destroyed facilities at Bahrain's Sheikh Isa Air Base.

Separately, Iranian media reported that the headquarters of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet in Bahrain had come under attack. The semi-official Mehr and Fars news agencies said communication antennas and radar systems associated with the Patriot system at the base were targeted in a drone operation.

There was no immediate confirmation from US officials regarding the Iranian claims or any reported damage at the military installations.

Bahrain's Interior Ministry said an air raid alert had been activated across the kingdom and urged residents to remain calm and move to the nearest safe location.

"Remain calm and head to the nearest safe place," the ministry said in a post on X.

With AFP inputs