Dubai: Kuwait's military said on Thursday that its air defence systems intercepted a fresh wave of incoming Iranian missiles and drones, as tensions in the Gulf continued to escalate. The attack came amid Iran's retaliation against US military operations in the region.

Kuwait's military said it was responding to renewed Iranian aerial attacks on Thursday as Iran and the United States exchanged strikes over control of the vital Strait of Hormuz.

"Kuwaiti air defences are currently engaging hostile drone attacks following the Iranian aggression," Kuwait's army said in a statement as an AFP journalist reported sounds of explosions near the Gulf state's capital, Kuwait City.

The latest strike follows an intensified US military campaign against Iran, with Washington expanding its attacks over recent days as the two countries remain locked in a confrontation centred on the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.

(AP)