June 24, Kathmandu – The conflict between the United States and Iran appears to be intensifying in West Asia. Following a severe US airstrike on Iran, Tehran has claimed to have shot down a sophisticated American drone. The ongoing tensions have also impacted the neighboring country of Kuwait. According to the Iranian news agency Tasnim, Hossein Mohseni, a spokesperson for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), stated that Iran’s air defense system downed a US MQ-9 drone flying over Hormozgan Province’s Khormuj. Mohseni clarified that this action was taken in response to the US military airstrikes.
Meanwhile, sirens have sounded in Kuwait as the country defends against missile and drone attacks. The Kuwaiti military reported its efforts to repel “hostile missile and drone assaults” targeting the nation. The official Kuwaiti news agency KUNA confirmed that air raid sirens were heard nationwide. The military issued a statement explaining that the explosions heard across the country were caused by the interception and destruction of those missiles and drones midair.
Flights at Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport are operating normally. After a temporary suspension, flights resumed from 5 a.m. local time. According to the state media IRIB, the recent developments stem from a series of US airstrikes against Iran. The US military launched attacks early Wednesday morning on more than 80 Iranian military sites, including Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island, and Sirik, coinciding with the funeral proceedings of Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The US Central Command carried out the air raids following Iranian allegations that three commercial oil tankers were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran has condemned the US strikes as a “clear violation” of the ceasefire agreement between the two countries and warned of a “devastating response.” (With agency inputs)
