KUWAIT CITY: Kuwaiti officials said on Wednesday that Iran carried out a drone strike on a passenger terminal at Kuwait International Airport, wounding several people and forcing the suspension of air traffic, in the latest escalation of regional tensions following recent exchanges between Tehran and Washington.
The drone strike came hours after US President Donald Trump said Washington and Tehran were still engaged in continuous talks despite rising regional tensions and reports suggesting Iran had suspended contacts following Israeli attacks in Lebanon.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the attacks targeting US bases in Kuwait were launched in response to what it described as an American strike on Qeshm Island in southern Iran.
In a statement, the IRGC said its Aerospace Force carried out missile attacks against US military facilities in Kuwait following what it called a violation of Iranian sovereignty.
The force warned that any further attack against Iran would be met with a “decisive” response, adding that those involved in actions against the country would face consequences.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed carrying out strikes on Qeshm Island.
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) June 2, 2026
The Official Spokesman for the Ministry of Defence, Brigadier General Saud Abdulaziz Al-Otaibi, said several hostile drones targeted the passenger building (T1) at Kuwait International Airport on Wednesday as a result of what he described as ‘criminal Iranian aggression’, causing significant material damage and injuring several people who received necessary medical treatment.
He added that the armed forces were monitoring the situation in coordination with relevant authorities and remained in a state of full readiness to deal with any developments and take all necessary measures to preserve the country’s security and stability.”
Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) reported that airport traffic was temporarily suspended following the attack.
بيان رقم (63)
صرّح المتحدث الرسمي لوزارة الدفاع، العقيد الركن سعود عبدالعزيز العطوان، بأن عدداً من الطائرات المسيّرة المعادية استهدفت اليوم مبنى الركاب (T1) بمطار الكويت الدولي نتيجة العدوان الإيراني الآثم، ما أسفر عن أضرار مادية جسيمة في المبنى وإصابة عدد من الأشخاص، حيث تلقوا… pic.twitter.com/HMSd0TX7sG
— KUWAIT ARMY – الجيش الكويتي (@KuwaitArmyGHQ) June 3, 2026
Earlier, Kuwait’s military said its air defences were intercepting “hostile” missile and drone attacks.
The oil-rich Gulf nation, a US ally, has been on the receiving end of Iranian attacks since the United States and Israel attacked Iran and killed its senior leadership in late February.
“Any sounds of explosions heard are the result of air defense systems intercepting these hostile attacks,” the military said on X, without specifying their origin.
تتصدى حالياً الدفاعات الجوية الكويتية لهجمات صاروخية وطائرات مسيرة معادية.
تنوه رئاسة الأركان العامة للجيش أن أصوات الانفجارات إن سمعت فهي نتيجة اعتراض منظومات الدفاع الجوي للهجمات المعادية.
يرجى من الجميع التقيد بتعليمات الأمن والسلامة الصادرة عن الجهات المختصة.… pic.twitter.com/us5KIAGcih
— KUWAIT ARMY – الجيش الكويتي (@KuwaitArmyGHQ) June 2, 2026
Kuwait’s state-run news agency KUNA reported that sirens were heard for the second time that night.
On Monday, Kuwait said it shot down a volley of missiles and drones, and later its foreign ministry held Iran “fully responsible for these heinous attacks”.
An additional wave of Iranian drones attempting to attack U.S. forces in Kuwait failed to impact intended targets tonight. U.S. Central Command air defenses successfully downed multiple drones and ensured no American personnel or assets were harmed.
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) June 3, 2026
The US military’s Central Command had said its forces “successfully intercepted two Iranian ballistic missiles targeting American forces based in Kuwait”.
“These missiles were immediately defeated, and no American personnel were harmed”, it said in a post on X.
Earlier, on Wednesday, Iran and the United States traded competing claims after Tehran said it had launched missile and drone attacks against American military facilities in the Gulf, including the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain.
Footage showing the retaliation against the aggression by the US military, including strikes on the Fifth Fleet Naval Base, along with the air and helicopter bases of the terrorist, child-killing American army. pic.twitter.com/6GcdH5bPS0
— IRNA News Agency ☫ (@IrnaEnglish) June 3, 2026
While Iranian state media described the operation as a successful retaliatory strike, the US military said the attacks were intercepted or failed to reach their targets, denying any damage to American installations.
The denial from the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) came after Iranian state media reported that the IRGC had launched a series of missile and drone attacks against US military facilities in retaliation for what Tehran described as an American strike on a communications tower located south of Qeshm Island.
According to Iranian reports, the attacks were aimed at the US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain, as well as an air base and military helicopters stationed in a neighbouring regional country.
An additional wave of Iranian drones attempting to attack U.S. forces in Kuwait failed to impact intended targets tonight. U.S. Central Command air defenses successfully downed multiple drones and ensured no American personnel or assets were harmed.
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) June 3, 2026
The US military maintained that American forces remained fully operational and prepared to respond to any threat against personnel, facilities or regional partners. CENTCOM further described the IRGC’s assertions regarding successful strikes on US military installations as inaccurate.
Iranian media also reported that the IRGC Navy had targeted a vessel identified as Panaya near the strategically important Strait of Hormuz. The action was described as retaliation for an alleged US attack on an Iranian tanker that caused damage to its engine room.
In addition, Iranian officials claimed that the operation formed part of a broader response to what they characterised as American aggression in the region.
The reports suggested that missile and drone strikes were launched simultaneously against multiple targets associated with US military operations.
CENTCOM stated that several projectiles launched towards regional countries either failed to reach their targets or were intercepted by allied air defence systems
