DUBAI / KUWAIT CITY — Iran launched a coordinated missile and drone attack on Kuwait late Wednesday, marking the first direct strike on a Gulf Cooperation Council member state since the Strait of Hormuz crisis began and prompting immediate international condemnation and warnings of retaliation.
Kuwait’s foreign ministry confirmed its air defense systems intercepted “hostile missile and drone attacks” launched from Iranian territory, calling the strikes a “dangerous escalation” and reserving the country’s right to self-defense under international law.
The GCC Secretary-General condemned the attacks “in the strongest terms,” describing them as a “treacherous act” that threatens regional security. The UAE separately issued a sharp condemnation, calling the strikes “terrorist attacks” and expressing full solidarity with Kuwait.
It was not immediately clear what military or civilian infrastructure in Kuwait was targeted, or whether any projectiles penetrated the air defense envelope. Kuwait authorities said the situation was being assessed and an emergency security session had been convened.
The attacks came as the US-Iran confrontation entered its 90th day. Washington launched what it described as “defensive” strikes on an Iranian military site near Bandar Abbas on Tuesday, prompting Iran’s Revolutionary Guard to retaliate against a base used by US forces — the first direct IRGC retaliation against a US installation since the Hormuz standoff escalated.
Israel meanwhile carried out what it described as a “targeted assassination” in southern Beirut, killing a senior Hezbollah figure, and struck 135 Hezbollah targets in south Lebanon overnight — the heaviest bombardment since the current cycle of hostilities began. An Israeli attack on Gaza City killed at least 10 people, including four children, as Eid al-Adha celebrations were shattered.
Markets rallied on Wednesday on hopes a broader US-Iran deal was within reach, but the Kuwait attack appeared to harden positions on all sides. No group immediately claimed the Kuwait strikes, though analysts have long warned Iran could use proxy forces to test the threshold of direct GCC involvement.
Kuwait, home to roughly 30,000 US military personnel at the Ali Al Salem airbase, is one of America’s closest Gulf partners. The attack on a US-allied GCC state could complicate ongoing diplomatic efforts, including Qatari and Omani back-channel talks between Washington and Tehran.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.