DUBAI — The US military on Wednesday refuted Iranian claims that a US missile interceptor had damaged Kuwait International Airport were false, adding that Iran struck the civilian airport with drones in a “deliberate, calculated, and unjustified attack.”
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) denied responsibility for damaging the airport terminal, claiming the destruction was linked to a malfunction in the American-made Patriot missile defense system and not the result of an Iranian strike, the Tasnim news agency reported.
Kuwait said on Wednesday Iranian attacks on its territory killed one person and wounded several others, as well as forcing its airport to close and damaging unnamed diplomatic missions.
India’s foreign ministry confirmed that the person in the attack on the airport was an Indian national.
“We condemn the attack on the Kuwait International Airport today in which an Indian national has died and several of our nationals are injured,” theministry said in a statement. “We again call upon parties to cease such attacks,” it added.
Kuwait’s foreign ministry condemned the attacks “that once again targeted vital and civilian infrastructure, including Kuwait International Airport, killing one person and injuring others, in addition to causing damage to vital infrastructure including diplomatic missions.”
Iran’s response followed sharp criticism from former Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, who accused Tehran of repeatedly targeting neighboring Gulf states and questioned the rationale behind recent attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait.
In a post on X, Al Thani described Iran’s actions as difficult to justify. While reiterating Qatar’s interest in maintaining positive relations with Iran, he said Doha would not accept being “blackmailed” by Tehran.
The former prime minister called on Gulf states to present a united response, arguing that collective action would demonstrate that attacks on any member state would not weaken regional solidarity.
Iran, however, has maintained that its military actions are retaliatory measures against countries that allow the United States to launch operations against Iranian targets from their territory.
Gulf governments have rejected that explanation, accusing Tehran of using military pressure to influence regional leaders and push them to persuade US President Donald Trump to end the conflict.
Meanwhile, Kuwait Airways resumed flights from the airport’s Terminal 4 after authorities evaluated damages to the facility, state news KUNA reported. Air traffic was earlier suspended and flights were diverted to alternative airports.
Hostilities between Iran and the United States escalated sharply on Wednesday as Iran claimed responsibility for attacks on US military assets in Kuwait and Bahrain, including the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet, while Washington reported intercepting missiles launched toward regional allies and carrying out retaliatory strikes.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said it had launched missiles and drones against the US Fifth Fleet headquarters, an airbase and helicopters in a Gulf country in response to what it described as a US attack on a communications tower south of Qeshm Island.
Iranian media also reported that the IRGC Navy targeted a vessel identified as Panaya with missiles after accusing US forces of striking an Iranian tanker near the Strait of Hormuz, damaging its engine room.
“Disrupting the security of the Strait of Hormuz will carry a heavy price for the US military,” Iranian media quoted the IRGC as saying.
The latest claims came hours after Kuwait’s military said its air defenses intercepted hostile missile and drone attacks, while neighboring Bahrain activated warning sirens and urged residents to seek shelter.
The US military disputed the Iranian version, saying it conducted strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island after defeating multiple Iranian missiles and drones launched toward Kuwait and Bahrain.
Source: Saudi Gazette