UPDATE - Iranian strike on hotel in Bahrain injured 2 US Defense Department employees: Report

ADDS DETAILS, CHANGES DECK

By Yasin Gungor

ISTANBUL (AA) - Two US Defense Department employees were wounded when an Iranian drone struck a hotel in Bahrain's capital Manama, The Washington Post reported Monday.

“Two U.S. DOW personnel were injured,” said a State Department cable reviewed by the newspaper, using an acronym for last year’s Defense Department unofficial rebrand as the Department of War.

It was unclear whether those hurt were civilians or service members and the cable gave no further details.

Neither the State nor the Defense departments confirmed the incident or responded to the newspaper's requests for comment.

An Iranian strike hit the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Manama on Sunday morning. In a statement released the same day, the US Embassy in Bahrain warned American citizens that "hotels might be a target for attacks" and urged them to avoid hotels in the capital.

- US Embassy in Kuwait hit in Iranian strikes

Iran also targeted the US Embassy in Kuwait on Sunday and Monday, CNN reported, citing a source familiar with the matter.

A US official did not confirm the strikes but told the news outlet that no injuries were recorded.

The extent of damage was unclear, though smoke was seen rising near the building Monday. The embassy warned of a "continuing threat of missile and UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) attacks over Kuwait."

The incidents are part of Iran's broader response amid an ongoing joint US-Israeli offensive, which since Saturday has killed several senior Iranian officials including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Bahrain has been among the hardest-hit Gulf states. Missiles struck a service center affiliated with the US Fifth Fleet on Saturday, according to the National Contact Center. Smoke was also seen rising over the Juffair area, which hosts a US naval base.

Kuwait was also targeted, as Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said that Camp Arifjan, a US base, was hit with dozens of drones and the Gulf country reported its first military deaths Monday.

Tensions have spread across the Gulf, with missiles targeting US-linked facilities and several countries reporting interceptions as Iran strikes states hosting American military assets.