Iran strikes Kuwait airport, US says missiles intercepted; both sides signal readiness for force

Iranian missiles and drones struck Kuwait's international airport on Wednesday morning, according to state news agency KUNA, which reported injuries, damage to facilities, and flight suspensions and diversions. India's foreign ministry said one Indian national was killed and several others were injured in the attack.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said two Iranian missiles aimed at Kuwait had fallen short or broken apart, and that several ballistic missiles did not reach their targets. CENTCOM also said projectiles aimed at Bahrain were intercepted and that no US personnel or assets were harmed in Kuwait or Bahrain.

Iran's Tasnim news agency said the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) had targeted US helicopters in a "regional country", apparently referring to Kuwait, but it was unclear if the helicopters were at the airport or whether debris and intercepted projectiles had caused the airport damage. Tasnim also reported that the IRGC fired missiles and drones at an airbase and the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain.

The attack on Kuwait followed US strikes on Iranian radar and drone sites in Goruk and on Qeshm Island, as well as a US attack on a telecommunications tower on Qeshm. Tehran said US forces damaged an Iranian oil tanker near the Strait of Hormuz, and Iranian media reported that the IRGC navy hit a vessel it called "Panaya" with missiles in response.

These incidents mark an escalation after a brief lull following tit-for-tat strikes across the Gulf last month. On May 17, a drone strike caused a fire at an electrical generator outside the Barakah nuclear plant's inner perimeter in the UAE, though no injuries were reported and radiation levels remained normal. Earlier in May, the UAE accused Iran of launching missiles and drones at the port of Fujairah, injuring three Indian nationals and setting an oil refinery ablaze.

On the diplomatic front, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers on Tuesday that the US would agree to sanctions relief only if Iran gives up its nuclear activity. On May 28, the US and Iran reportedly reached a preliminary memorandum of understanding to extend the ceasefire for 60 days and begin permanent peace negotiations, though neither side confirmed it.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned on Friday that US bases in the region used to launch any aggression against Iran are considered legitimate targets. "We warned regional states that US bases used for any aggression against Iran are legitimate targets," Araghchi said, according to Iran's IRIB news agency.