Drone Strike at Kuwait Airport Leaves One Dead, 63 Injured

An Iranian drone attack on a passenger terminal at Kuwait’s international airport killed an Indian citizen and injured 63 others on Wednesday. This incident raised tensions between Tehran and US forces in the Gulf.

Kuwait’s military condemned the attack as an act of "criminal Iranian aggression." Iran’s Revolutionary Guards accused US forces of provoking this situation by targeting a tanker and a communications tower on Qeshm Island.

These attacks are among the most serious challenges to the ceasefire established on April 8. This ceasefire had paused over a month of conflict triggered by US-Israeli bombings of Iran. Although there have been sporadic exchanges of fire, the ceasefire had mostly held.

India’s foreign ministry confirmed that one of its citizens was killed and several others were hurt in the airport attack.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Iran of "playing with fire." He said, "Iran surely knows what the (US) president has said, that if necessary, there’ll be a full-scale return to military action." He referenced threats made by Donald Trump in an interview with US channel CNBC.

Abdullah al-Sanad, a spokesman for Kuwait’s health ministry, reported that 63 people were treated for injuries, including head wounds, cerebral hemorrhages, amputations, and injuries from explosions.

Kuwait halted air traffic and redirected incoming flights to other locations, but later resumed Kuwait Airways services. The international airport had been targeted multiple times during the conflict and only fully resumed operations on Monday.

The Gulf nation stated it detected a total of 30 ballistic missiles and drones launched on Wednesday during the “heinous Iranian aggression.” Kuwait denied Iranian claims that its territory and airspace had been used to strike Iran.

Hassan Sheikh, a 40-year-old Pakistani resident living near the airport, reported hearing explosions throughout the night. He said, "For the first time, my children felt how serious the situation was."

Bahrain also reported drone attacks from Iran during the night. In response, the United Arab Emirates called for a “cohesive Gulf stance” among neighbors against Tehran.

While the Revolutionary Guards did not claim responsibility for the attack on the civilian airport, they accused Kuwait and Bahrain of allowing US attacks. They also mentioned targeting another site, "the Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, which hosts helicopters."

Iran’s chief negotiator with the US, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, warned that any "aggression will be met with a decisive, regrettable, and proportionate response." This warning came one day before Iran was set to mark the anniversary of former supreme leader Ruhollah Khomeini’s death, three months after his successor Ali Khamenei died in US-Israeli strikes.