KUWAIT CITY Sept 3, 2026 — Kuwait’s armed forces said Thursday morning that air defenses were actively intercepting incoming Iranian missiles and drones, marking the latest expansion of Tehran’s retaliatory campaign against U.S. allies in the Gulf.
“Kuwaiti air defenses are currently engaging hostile missile and drone attacks following the heinous Iranian aggression,” the General Staff of the Kuwaiti Armed Forces posted on X. Officials added that explosions heard in parts of the country were the result of intercepts and urged residents to follow official safety instructions.
Iranian state television confirmed the operation, stating that Tehran was targeting U.S. military bases in Kuwait “in response to America’s crimes against the Iranian people.”
A hostile drone struck a residential complex in the Kuwaiti capital, sparking a fire that firefighters from Al-Hilali and Al-Madina stations quickly contained. Kuwait Fire Force spokesman Brig. Gen. Mohammad Al-Gharib said there were no casualties and that damage was limited to property.
Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry condemned the strikes as a “blatant violation” of the country’s sovereignty and a threat to regional security. The ministry said the attacks targeted multiple sites, including the residential complex, and violated international law, the UN Charter, and UN Security Council Resolution 2817. Kuwait reserved the right to take all necessary measures to protect its people and territory.
The incident comes amid a sharp intensification of the 2026 Iran war, which began in late February after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets. Fighting had seen a relative lull before recent U.S. airstrikes on Iranian sites, including one that Iranian officials said hit a wedding gathering and killed civilians. Iran has responded by targeting U.S. facilities and partners across Jordan, Bahrain, the UAE, Iraq’s Kurdistan region, and now Kuwait again.
Kuwait has faced repeated Iranian drone and missile attacks since the war’s outset, including earlier strikes on Kuwait International Airport and Ali Al Salem Air Base. Air defenses have intercepted the majority of incoming threats in previous waves.
Regional governments and the Council of Arab Interior Ministers have denounced the latest Iranian actions as destabilizing. No immediate reports of U.S. or Kuwaiti military casualties from Thursday’s barrage have been confirmed. The situation remains fluid as both sides continue exchanging fire.
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