Kuwait City, KUWAIT

Abdullah Ali Al‑Salem Al‑Sabah, Kuwait’s defense minister, discussed the possibility of obtaining additional defense reinforcements from France during a call Friday with his French counterpart Catherine Vautrin, according to the Kuwaiti Army.

The army said in a statement that the two ministers discussed “a number of issues of mutual interest, including the possibility of providing defensive reinforcements within the framework of the existing military cooperation between the two friendly countries.”

Al-Sabah praised the strength of relations between the two countries and affirmed the depth of their strategic partnership, the statement added.

The call comes as Kuwait faces missile and drone attacks amid Iran’s response to a war waged by Israel and the US.

Tehran said it is targeting “U.S. interests in the region.”

Earlier Friday, the Kuwaiti Defense Ministry said the country’s air defenses dealt with hostile missile and drone attacks that breached Kuwaiti airspace, without providing details.

Since Feb. 28, Israel and the US have been carrying out attacks on Iran that have killed hundreds, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and senior security officials, according to reports. Tehran has responded with missile and drone strikes targeting Israel.

Iran has also launched missile and drone attacks against US interests in Gulf states, Iraq and Jordan. Some of the attacks have caused casualties and damage to civilian property, drawing condemnation from the targeted Arab countries, which have demanded an end to the attacks.

*Writing by Khaled Badr in Istanbul