Kuwait responds to fuel tank fire at Kuwait International Airport targeted by ‘hostile drones’

ISTANBUL

Kuwaiti authorities on Wednesday said they are responding to a fire at a fuel tank at Kuwait International Airport after it was targeted by “hostile drones.”

In a statement carried by the Kuwait News Agency, a Fire Force spokesperson said firefighting teams, supported by the army, National Guard and oil sector units, are working to contain the blaze.

Emergency teams also dealt with four separate fires at different locations triggered by falling debris, he added.

Separately, a Defense Ministry spokesperson said air defenses detected 20 ballistic missiles and nine hostile drones over the past 24 hours, with no casualties reported.

He said 13 missiles and six drones were destroyed, while two drones struck the airport fuel tank, igniting the fire now being contained.

A National Guard unit also destroyed one drone and five additional unmanned aircraft within its operational areas, the spokesperson said.

Iran’s ambassador summoned

Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry said that it summoned Iran’s ambassador, Mohamad Toutonji, for the third time since the onset of Iranian attacks on Feb. 28, handing him a formal protest note over the continued strikes.

In a statement, the ministry said the summoning follows the targeting of fuel tanks at Kuwait International Airport, which it said constitutes a “grave violation” of international humanitarian law and noted that the airport is a civilian facility.

The ministry strongly condemned the attack, describing it as “a blatant violation” of its sovereignty, territorial integrity and airspace, as well as a breach of international law, the UN Charter and principles of good neighborliness.

It called for an immediate halt to the attacks, holding Iran fully responsible for their consequences, and reaffirmed Kuwait’s right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter.

Earlier, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said drones targeted a fuel tank at Kuwait International Airport, sparking a fire at the site. Initial reports indicated only material damage from the attack.

Regional escalation has continued to flare since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, killing so far over 1,340 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.