An Iranian drone strike on Kuwait's international airport killed one person and wounded several others, according to Kuwaiti military officials. The attack damaged a passenger terminal and forced authorities to suspend air traffic and redirect arriving flights to alternative airports.
The strike represents a dangerous escalation in the conflict between the United States and Iran, bringing direct military action against a country that hosts American military personnel and maintains close security ties with Washington. Brigadier General Saud Abdulaziz Al-Atwan, Kuwait's defense ministry spokesperson, described the attack as "criminal Iranian aggression which resulted in significant material damage to the building and injuries."
The airport strike came as part of a broader exchange of military action between the two countries. The sequence began when U.S. forces fired a missile to disable the M/T Lexie, a Botswana-flagged tanker, as it moved through international waters toward Iran's Kharg Island north of the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. Central Command said the crew had ignored repeated warnings over 24 hours. The military described the tanker as unladen and said it was attempting to break through an American blockade of the strait that began in April.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps responded to the strike on the tanker by attacking Kuwait's airport with drones. The IRGC also claimed it struck the U.S. Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain with missiles and drones, though U.S. Central Command denied this claim. American forces subsequently reported shooting down three Iranian attack drones launched toward civilian vessels in regional waters and conducted strikes on an Iranian military ground control station on Qeshm Island.
The tit-for-tat exchanges threaten negotiations between Washington and Tehran to establish a ceasefire. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that a deal with Iran appeared within reach and claimed the regime had agreed to discuss aspects of its nuclear program previously off limits.
However, Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi signaled that Tehran may suspend peace talks with the United States. He stated that the ceasefire between the two countries must extend to all fronts, including Lebanon, and said violations on any front constitute violations of the entire agreement. His comments reflected Iranian objections to Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon, where dozens of airstrikes have continued despite a supposed ceasefire agreement.
The latest exchanges represent ongoing tensions despite diplomatic claims. This marks the sixth vessel the U.S. military has disabled since the blockade began, with American forces redirecting 122 vessels seeking to enter or exit Iranian ports.