An Iranian drone and ballistic missile attack on Kuwait during the early hours of Wednesday morning killed one civilian, wounded several others, and damaged "vital facilities, including diplomatic missions," the Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry confirmed on X/Twitter in the afternoon.
According to the Health Ministry, following the event, there were a total of 63 cases of injury, and seven major emergency surgeries performed.
Earlier on Wednesday, Kuwait's Civil Aviation Authority suspended all air traffic and diverted flights away from Kuwait International Airport after Iranian missiles and drones hit Terminal 1, wounding several and causing structural damage.
A Kuwaiti Defense Ministry spokesperson said that "enemy drones" targeted the airport's Terminal 1, causing "significant material damage, and wounding several individuals who received the necessary medical care."
Technical teams are inspecting and assessing damage, Kuwait's official KUNA said.
Kuwait Airways said it would reschedule its Wednesday flights. Shortly afterward, the civil aviation authority said the country's flagship carrier had resumed flights from Terminal 4, after evaluating damage and taking safety measures.
US strikes Iranian missile sites following regime's attacks on Kuwait, Bahrain, CENTCOM confirms
This follows on from the US striking an Iranian military ground control site and combated multiple Iranian missile and drone attacks aimed at Kuwait and Bahrain on Tuesday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed.
CENTCOM described the strikes on the Qeshm Island control center as “self-defense strikes,” ordered after American forces shot down three Iranian one-way attack drones aimed at vessels transiting regional waters.
In retaliation, Iran launched multiple missiles at Bahrain and Kuwait. Three were intercepted by US and Bahrain air defenses, and two that were aimed at Kuwait failed before hitting their targets.
Bahrain's military says it was responsible for intercepting three missiles and several drones in a post on its official X account. Bahrain's official statement made no mention of US involvement.
A short while later, Iran launched another wave of drones intended to attack US forces in Kuwait. CENTCOM announced that it successfully downed several drones, and no US personnel or assets were harmed during the incident.
US disables tanker headed for Iranian port
Earlier on Tuesday, the US disabled an empty oil tanker attempting to reach an Iranian port, firing a missile into the ship’s engine after the crew failed to comply with directions in the Persian Gulf.
According to CENTCOM, US forces issued repeated warnings to the crew of the Botswana-flagged vessel over the course of 24 hours as it sailed towards Iran’s Kharg Island.
To stop the tanker from reaching Iran, a US aircraft fired a missile into the vessel’s engine room, disabling it.
In a statement on X/Twitter, CENTCOM asserted that this is the sixth commercial vessel disabled by US forces since the blockade of Iranian ports along the Strait of Hormuz went into effect on April 13.
Iran says Kuwait, Bahrain bear responsibility for US attacks, vows self-defense
Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned on Wednesday what it described as US attacks on an Iranian oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz and a telecommunications tower on Qeshm Island, saying they violated a ceasefire understanding and international law.
The ministry said Kuwait and Bahrain bore "direct and clear responsibility" for the attacks, alleging their territory and facilities had been used to support US military operations against Iran.
Tehran said it reserved the right to self-defense and would use all available means to respond, including by targeting the source of any future attacks.
CENTCOM enforces US blockade on Strait of Hormuz
On Friday, CENTCOM took similar measures against a Gambia-flagged vessel in the Gulf of Oman attempting to reach an Iranian port.
In that incident, over 20 warnings were issued to the vessel’s crew before the ship was disabled with a Hellfire missile.
CENTCOM has also recently struck Iranian targets located along the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for Iran’s downing of a US drone over international waters.
On Monday, CENTCOM announced that it had struck Iranian radar sites and drone command and control sites in Goruk and on Qeshm Island. In the same strikes, American forces also destroyed two one-way attack drones that posed a threat to vessels transiting nearby waters.
Reuters contributed to this story.