At least one person was killed and 63 others wounded in an Iranian missile and drone strike targeting the passenger terminal at Kuwait International Airport early Wednesday, the Kuwaiti military confirmed. Kuwaiti authorities described the attack as a “criminal aggression” resulting in extensive damage to the airport infrastructure. Civil aviation operations were temporarily suspended, with incoming flights redirected to other airports.
The strike came amid a sharp escalation in hostilities between the United States and Iran, following a ceasefire that took effect on April 8. The renewed violence threatens efforts to secure a lasting truce between Washington and Tehran, with both sides engaging in missile and drone attacks targeting each other's assets in the Gulf region.
The incident originated after U.S. Central Command revealed it had disabled an Iranian oil tanker, the Botswana-flagged M/T Lexie, attempting to breach the Iranian blockade near the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. stated that an aircraft fired a missile to incapacitate the tanker’s engine as it moved through international waters en route to Iran’s Kharg Island, following repeated warnings to the vessel over a 24-hour period. In response, Iran launched a drone strike against the Kuwait airport, which it justified in a statement condemning Kuwait and Bahrain for allowing U.S. military use of their territory to pursue what Tehran described as “aggressive plans” against Iran.
Kuwait’s government condemned the strike and summoned Iran’s chargé d’affaires to lodge a formal protest. Subsequently, Kuwait announced a reduction in its Iranian embassy staff and ordered the expulsion of two Iranian diplomats within 24 hours.
Concurrently, U.S. forces reported repelling additional Iranian retaliatory strikes, including shooting down three one-way attack drones reportedly launched toward civilian vessels transiting regional waters. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for missile and drone attacks on the U.S. Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain, a claim denied by U.S. Central Command.
Amid these exchanges, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced Iran's actions as “playing with fire,” emphasizing that Israel is prepared for a full-scale military response if diplomatic efforts fail. Netanyahu criticized European leaders, including France’s Emmanuel Macron, for their responses to Israel’s ongoing military operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israeli airstrikes have continued against southern Lebanon despite a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States to stabilize the region.
U.S. President Donald Trump indicated that negotiations with Iran were ongoing and expressed a preference to avoid escalating ground military involvement. Trump also confirmed reports that he had called Netanyahu “crazy,” citing concerns that Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah complicated the U.S. effort to negotiate with Iran. He expressed willingness to meet Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who is reportedly in poor health.
The military adviser to Khamenei, Mohsen Rezaee, warned of intensified missile and drone attacks should the U.S. continue its strikes. “Every shot fired and every attack will be met with a deluge of missiles and drones,” he stated on social media.
Despite public optimism from some U.S. officials about peace prospects, including comments by Senator Marco Rubio that negotiations were nearing a deal on Iran’s nuclear program, Tehran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi announced a suspension of talks in protest against Israel’s offensive in Lebanon. Araghchi underscored that violation of the ceasefire on any front compromises the entire agreement and held the U.S. and Israel responsible for ensuing consequences.
The recent flare-ups underscore the fragility of the regional ceasefire and the precarious state of diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions between the U.S., Iran, Israel, and their respective allies.