Iran’s IRGC Warns Regional States Hosting US Forces of ‘Crushing’ Response
TEHRAN, IRAN — WEB DESK: A senior official in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has warned regional countries hosting American troops that territory used to launch attacks against Iran could face a “decisive and crushing” military response, escalating pressure on US partners as Washington and Tehran exchange fresh strikes across the Middle East.
Brigadier General Yadollah Javani, the IRGC’s deputy for political affairs, urged governments hosting American forces to remove US personnel and reclaim military bases used by Washington.
“It would be better for you to expel the Americans from your countries and take back the bases,” Javani said, according to Iranian reporting cited by multiple regional outlets.
He specifically referred to Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan, warning that if an attack against Iran were launched from territory in those countries, Iranian forces could retaliate against the location involved.
The remarks came as renewed US-Iran hostilities spread beyond Iranian territory, with Tehran firing missiles and drones at US military positions and facilities in several regional countries following fresh American strikes on Iran.
Warning Focuses on Territory Used for Attacks
The wording of Javani’s warning is important.
Some reports have characterised the statement as a broad Iranian threat against Arab countries unless they expel all American troops. His more specific warning, however, tied possible Iranian retaliation to territory used to launch aggression against Iran.
Javani said Iranian forces had demonstrated that an attack originating from “Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, or any other country” would be met with a decisive response.
The distinction matters because Iran did not announce an unconditional attack on those countries simply for maintaining relations with Washington.
Rather, the IRGC official warned host states that US military facilities on their territory could become targets if they were used in operations against Iran.
Even so, the call to expel American forces represents a significant escalation in Tehran’s pressure on regional governments.
Iran and US Exchange Fresh Strikes
The warning followed another sharp escalation between Iran and the United States.
The US military carried out fresh attacks on Iranian military infrastructure this week, targeting air-defence systems, radar facilities, communications infrastructure and other military capabilities. Iran responded with ballistic missiles and drones aimed at American military positions elsewhere in the region.
Iran said its attacks targeted US assets in Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait and Iraq’s Kurdistan region. Some of Tehran’s claims regarding damage and American casualties have not been independently confirmed.
In Jordan, two US officials told Reuters that initial information indicated no American casualties from an Iranian attack on US facilities. Jordan said its air defences confronted 13 ballistic missiles, intercepting 10 while three fell in remote areas.
Bahrain also reported intercepting Iranian drones, while Kuwait said its air defences responded to hostile drone activity.
Those independently reported details conflict with some Iranian claims of significant American casualties and therefore should take precedence over unverified battlefield assertions.
Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan Host US Military Presence
The countries named by Javani have longstanding defence relationships with Washington.
Bahrain hosts major US naval forces and serves as a central hub for American maritime operations in the Gulf.
Kuwait has for decades hosted US military personnel and facilities supporting American operations across the Middle East.
Jordan is also a close US security partner and hosts American military personnel under bilateral defence arrangements.
Javani’s comments therefore directly challenge a core element of Washington’s regional military architecture.
But there is currently no indication that Bahrain, Kuwait or Jordan has agreed to Iran’s demand to expel US forces.
Regional Governments Confront Iranian Attacks
Iran’s warning also comes against the backdrop of direct Iranian missile and drone activity affecting several regional states.
The Associated Press reported that Iran launched attacks against American-linked targets across Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, with regional air-defence systems intercepting incoming threats.
The escalation creates a difficult position for Gulf and other Arab governments.
Many maintain close military relationships with the United States while simultaneously seeking to avoid becoming direct participants in a prolonged US-Iran war.
Iran has repeatedly argued that neighbouring territory should not be made available for attacks against it.
Regional governments, meanwhile, have their own sovereignty and security interests and are not automatically parties to US military operations simply because American forces are stationed on their territory.
Wider Iranian Military Warning
Javani’s statement was accompanied by a separate warning from Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the country’s senior operational military command.
Spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Ebrahim Zolfaqari said continued American attacks would produce a “heavier, broader and more devastating” Iranian response.
Iranian military officials also claimed their retaliatory strikes had inflicted significant damage and casualties on American forces.
Those casualty claims require attribution.
US officials said there were no American casualties in the Jordan attack based on initial information, while several regional governments reported successful interceptions of Iranian missiles and drones.
A publication-ready report should therefore not present Iranian claims of large numbers of US deaths as established fact.
Strait of Hormuz Remains Central to Conflict
The confrontation continues to revolve partly around the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy shipping routes.
Before the current disruption, roughly 20% of global oil consumption passed through the waterway.
The IRGC has warned that continued US military action would further restrict movement through Hormuz, while Washington says its attacks have targeted Iranian capabilities used to threaten commercial shipping and disrupt navigation.
The renewed fighting has already affected global energy markets.
Brent crude rose to about $95.68 a barrel in Wednesday trading, while US West Texas Intermediate reached around $90.83, according to Reuters, as traders priced in the risk of prolonged supply disruption.
Risk of Wider Regional Conflict Grows
The significance of Javani’s warning extends beyond Iran and the United States.
Any sustained Iranian campaign against American military installations in Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan or elsewhere risks bringing host countries more directly into the conflict, even if their governments seek to remain outside the fighting.
At the same time, retaliatory US attacks could further expand the geographic scope of the confrontation.
US President Donald Trump has warned Tehran against additional retaliation, while Iranian military commanders have vowed stronger responses if American attacks continue.
For now, the IRGC statement should be understood as a conditional military warning from a senior Iranian official, rather than evidence that Iran has ordered indiscriminate attacks against Arab states.
The immediate message from Tehran is nevertheless clear: countries hosting US forces are being warned that military facilities on their territory may become Iranian targets if Tehran believes those locations are being used to attack Iran.
