Kuwait says air defenses responding to Iranian missile, drone threats

Kuwaiti air defenses are engaging hostile missile and drone attacks from Iran, the army said Thursday.

"Kuwaiti air defenses are currently responding to hostile missile and drone threats," the General Staff of the Kuwaiti Armed Forces wrote on US social media company X.

The army confirmed that any explosions heard are the result of air defense systems intercepting "hostile targets." The public was urged to adhere to safety and security instructions issued by authorities.

The Iranian IRIB news agency claimed US military bases in Kuwait were struck during the operation. It reported one of the bases was hit, sending plumes of smoke rising.

Iran has not commented on the attack.

A previous month-long lull in direct fighting was recently broken after a US strike on Larak Island prompted direct Iranian retaliatory waves across the Gulf, including against the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

Since the start of US-Israeli operations against Iran on Feb. 28, 2026, Kuwait has been one of the most targeted nations hosting US forces.

Iran insists its attacks target the US military presence in Kuwait rather than the Kuwaiti populace, and demanded the immediate withdrawal of US forces from the country.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Wednesday that it targeted the headquarters and accommodation of the US commander at the Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait.