Iran attacks Kuwait airport as Gulf tensions escalate; U.S. strikes near Hormuz

DUBAI/WASHINGTON — Regional tensions in the Gulf intensified on Wednesday after Iranian missile and drone attacks struck Kuwait, damaging facilities at Kuwait International Airport, killing at least one person, and injuring more than 60 others, according to Kuwaiti authorities and state media.

The latest hostilities have further strained a fragile ceasefire and raised concerns over the stability of the region, sending global oil prices up by more than two percent as the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed.

Kuwaiti officials reported that airport operations were temporarily suspended following the attack, which also damaged diplomatic facilities. The country’s civil aviation authority later announced the partial resumption of flights through Terminal 4 after safety inspections and damage assessments were completed.

In neighboring Bahrain, military officials said air defense systems intercepted three missiles and several drones. Iran, meanwhile, claimed responsibility for attacks targeting the headquarters of the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, along with an airbase and military helicopters in another Gulf state.

The U.S. military stated that two Iranian missiles directed toward Kuwait either fell short or disintegrated during flight. Several other ballistic missiles reportedly failed to reach their intended targets across the region.

Since the conflict erupted on February 28, Iran has repeatedly launched attacks against military and civilian sites in Gulf nations hosting American military installations. Although a ceasefire was reached in early April, sporadic exchanges of fire have continued.

The Strait of Hormuz remains a central flashpoint in the conflict. Before the war, the waterway handled roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments. Efforts led by Washington to reopen the route have so far yielded limited results.

Diplomatic momentum appeared to build last week when both Tehran and Washington signaled progress toward a preliminary agreement aimed at ending hostilities and restoring maritime traffic through the strait. However, negotiations remain incomplete, with both sides yet to formally approve a framework deal.

Mohsen Rezaei, a military adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, warned that Iran would not allow the United States to gain excessive leverage in either ceasefire arrangements or ongoing negotiations. Writing on social media platform X, Rezaei said any aggression against Iran would trigger a large-scale missile and drone response.

Meanwhile, Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the president of the United Arab Emirates, called for a unified Gulf response to repeated attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain, describing the assaults as a threat to the entire region.

Further signs of escalation emerged as the U.S. military reported intercepting drones targeting civilian vessels and American forces stationed in Kuwait. U.S. forces also conducted strikes on Qeshm Island after what officials described as attempted Iranian attacks.

Iranian media reported that the naval arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched missile strikes against a vessel identified as the Panaya, claiming the action was retaliation for a U.S. attack on an Iranian tanker near Hormuz.

Since mid-March, U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed optimism about reaching a broader agreement that could end the conflict and open negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program and regional security issues.

Iran is reportedly seeking an end to fighting in Lebanon, expanded access to oil revenues, relief from export restrictions, the lifting of U.S. maritime blockades, and continued influence over the Strait of Hormuz as part of any future settlement.

Trump has maintained that preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons remains Washington’s top priority. Tehran continues to insist that its nuclear program is intended solely for peaceful purposes.

However, Iranian media reported Wednesday that indirect communications with Washington had stalled, with Tehran suspending exchanges through intermediaries until its demands regarding Lebanon are addressed.

In a podcast interview released Wednesday, Trump claimed Iran had already agreed not to pursue nuclear weapons and said Khamenei was directly involved in negotiations.

Israel-Hezbollah Conflict Continues

The broader regional conflict has claimed thousands of lives, primarily in Iran and Lebanon, while disrupting global energy supplies and international shipping routes.

The war has also fueled renewed fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. Israel has launched its deepest military operations inside Lebanon in more than two decades.

Lebanese security sources said Israeli drone strikes on Wednesday killed at least six people in southern Lebanon and targeted a vehicle south of Beirut. Israeli authorities separately reported intercepting a hostile aircraft believed to have been launched by Hezbollah.

The strike near Beirut appeared to be among the closest attacks to the Lebanese capital since the announcement of a U.S.-mediated partial ceasefire earlier this week.

Trump acknowledged tensions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the podcast interview, saying he was frustrated by the continued fighting involving Lebanon despite ongoing diplomatic efforts.

As military operations continue and negotiations remain unresolved, concerns are growing that the conflict could widen further, threatening regional stability and global energy markets.