Kuwait City [Kuwait], July 23 (ANI): Kuwait's Ministry of Defence reported that the Al-Abdali border post, Kuwait's primary northern land crossing with Iraq, was targeted by drones on Thursday afternoon, resulting in physical damage to the facility.

According to a statement issued by Defence Ministry spokesperson Saud Abdulaziz Al-Atwan, the strike caused material destruction but resulted in no casualties.

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The spokesperson added that specialised teams were immediately deployed to implement essential security protocols at the location alongside designated authorities. Operations are currently underway to clear remnants and debris left by the unmanned aerial vehicles.

Situated in northern Kuwait's Al-Jahra Province, the Al-Abdali terminal serves as the principal terrestrial transit point for commercial freight and vehicular passenger traffic connecting the country with neighbouring Iraq.

The border incident occurred amid a wider wave of regional military actions, as Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Army launched retaliatory strikes targeting American military infrastructure in Kuwait and Jordan, asserting the destruction of key air defence systems, logistical depots, and drone facilities.

In a statement carried by Iranian state broadcaster Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the IRGC stated that its forces struck US positions in Jordan in response to continued US military actions against Iranian territory.

'Honourable and noble people of Jordan, your Mujahideen brothers in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, in punishment of the child-killing American army and in response to the repeated aggressions against the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran, destroyed a radar of the American THAAD missile defence system with lightning strikes on American bases,' the IRGC said.

The IRGC further claimed that a Patriot system and a C-RAM radar were destroyed in the strikes, alongside fuel tanks, a large helicopter equipment warehouse, and a maintenance facility at an American base.

Addressing the Jordanian public, the IRGC asserted its respect for Jordan's territorial integrity while alleging that the presence of US bases constituted a breach of national sovereignty, adding: 'It is our legal, religious, and logical right to target the aggressor of our country and the murderer of our children from wherever they attack.'

Separately, the Iranian Army announced the execution of the 23rd phase of 'Operation Lightning', confirming drone strikes against three US bases in Kuwait.

According to the Army's public relations department, loitering munitions struck ammunition and logistics storage at the Doha base, fuel facilities at the Ali Al Salem base, and an ammunition depot at Camp Arifjan.

'In response to the continued arrogance and aggression of the evil enemy against our country, the Islamic Republic of Iran's army, in the twenty-third phase of Operation Lightning, a few hours ago, targeted the ammunition and logistics depots of the child-killing US army at the Doha base, the fuel tanks at the Ali al-Salem base, and the ammunition depot at the Arifjan camp in Kuwait with massive attacks by its destructive drones,' the statement said.

In an additional statement targeting operations in Kuwait, the IRGC claimed strikes on Ali Al Salem Air Base, targeting a military equipment warehouse, a Patriot missile defence battery, and an MQ-9 drone hangar. The group added that accommodation quarters, communications infrastructure, and helicopter facilities at the Al-Adiri barracks were also targeted.

Reiterating its stance on Gulf nations, the IRGC stated: 'It is America that has violated your territorial integrity and sovereignty, not us. We are attacking lands occupied by the American army, an army that knows nothing but crime.'

The escalation follows a statement from US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirming it completed a 12th consecutive night of military strikes against Iranian infrastructure, targeting naval capabilities, drone and missile storage, coastal surveillance networks, and air defence assets.

'At 10:30 p.m. ET on July 22, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces completed another round of strikes against Iran for the 12th consecutive night,' CENTCOM stated, noting that the operations aim to degrade Iran's ability to attack commercial shipping and civilian mariners.

CENTCOM added that US forces have struck dozens of land-based military installations this month while resuming a naval blockade against Iran following the breakdown of the 14-point memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed last month.

The command noted that over 50,000 American military personnel operating across the Middle East remain in a state of high readiness.

The current military exchanges mark a sharp escalation in West Asia following the collapse of the 14-point MoU, which had been aimed at halting hostilities and facilitating talks on Iran's nuclear programme and regional maritime security, leading to renewed US attacks on Iranian assets and Iranian strikes against US bases across the Gulf region. (ANI)