Drone attack hits Kuwait airport, flights suspended amid regional escalation
The incident came hours after renewed missile exchanges between Iran and US forces in the region
Kuwait suspended commercial flights today (3 June) after a drone attack attributed to Iran struck its international airport, injuring several people and damaging parts of the passenger terminal, officials said.
The incident came hours after renewed missile exchanges between Iran and US forces in the region, further escalating already high tensions in the Gulf.
Kuwait's Defence Ministry spokesperson Brig Gen Saud Abdulaziz Al-Otaibi said "a number of hostile drones" targeted Kuwait International Airport, causing significant damage to the passenger building and leaving several people injured.
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The airport had only recently resumed operations on June 1 after an earlier shutdown linked to regional conflict, he added.
Late yesterday, the US military said it carried out strikes on an Iranian military facility in retaliation for missile fire that it said originated from Iran and targeted Kuwait and Bahrain.
According to the US, two Iranian missiles aimed at Kuwait disintegrated mid-air, while others targeting Bahrain were intercepted.
US Central Command also said it had shot down multiple drones directed at American forces stationed in Kuwait.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard, however, said it had launched strikes targeting the headquarters of the US Navy's 5th Fleet in Bahrain and another location, though it did not name Kuwait.
It said the attacks were in response to earlier US military action against an Iranian oil tanker.
"We had previously warned that any aggression would be met with a stronger response," the Guard said in a statement.
Central Command said it responded by striking an Iranian ground control facility on Qeshm Island near the Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, Iranian semi-official news agencies reported that Tehran had paused communication with mediators over a possible ceasefire, as regional tensions also intensified in Lebanon involving Iran-backed Hezbollah.
However, a regional official involved in the talks told The Associated Press that Iran had not responded to mediation efforts yesterday, despite earlier discussions on linking negotiations to a ceasefire in Lebanon.
US President Donald Trump rejected claims that talks had stalled, saying discussions were continuing daily.
"The conversations between us have been going on continuously… Where they lead, one never knows, but it's time for a deal," Trump said in a social media post.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking at a congressional hearing, did not confirm any break in communication but expressed cautious optimism about nuclear-related negotiations, while noting that an agreement was not guaranteed.
