Iran launches missile and drone attack on Kuwait

Iran fired a barrage of missiles and drones at Kuwait early Thursday, striking Kuwait International Airport and killing at least one person while injuring dozens more.

Kuwait’s military reported intercepting 13 ballistic missiles and 17 drones during the assault, though enough ordnance got through to cause serious damage on the ground. The sole fatality was an Indian national. At least 63 others were wounded.

A civilian airport becomes a war zone

Kuwait International Airport was temporarily shut down following the strikes. Kuwaiti officials called the assault “criminal Iranian aggression.”

The US Central Command condemned the attack as a “deliberate, calculated and unjustified attack.”

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed the damage at the airport was actually caused by malfunctioning US missile defense systems, not Iranian munitions.

Iran has framed its broader campaign against Kuwait as retaliation for US military operations, including strikes on Iranian territory and vessels.

Months of escalation

Thursday’s strike is the latest and most deadly in a series of Iranian attacks on Kuwait that have been building since a fragile ceasefire was established in April 2026.

Kuwait has faced hundreds of Iranian projectiles over the past several months. Both civilian infrastructure and US military personnel stationed in the country have been targeted. The Ali Al Salem Air Base has been a recurring focus of Iranian fire.

As recently as early September, another Iranian attack was neutralized without reported casualties.

Kuwait has expelled Iranian diplomats and appealed to the United Nations for accountability.

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