Iranian Missiles Hit Kuwait Airport as US-Iran Clashes Resume

Kuwait International Airport suspended all flights after Iranian missiles and drones struck its main terminal, injuring several people and damaging facilities in the latest round of strikes that risk widening a conflict already disrupting global energy flows.

The attack occurred early Wednesday as the United States and Iran traded blows across the Gulf. Kuwait's Directorate General of Civil Aviation reported significant damage to Terminal 1 and activated emergency protocols that diverted incoming flights. The country's foreign ministry stated that the strikes killed one person and wounded others while also affecting diplomatic missions. U.S. Central Command said two Iranian missiles aimed at Kuwait fell short or broke apart and that additional drones targeting U.S. forces in the country were intercepted, with no American personnel harmed.

CENTCOM described its own actions as self-defense, including a strike on an Iranian military ground control station on Qeshm Island and the disabling of a Botswana-flagged tanker attempting to reach Iran in violation of the U.S. blockade. The tanker, identified as the M/T Lexie, was hit in the engine room after ignoring repeated warnings. Iranian state media reported that U.S. forces first struck an Iranian oil tanker near the Strait of Hormuz, prompting Iranian missile and drone launches toward U.S. assets in Kuwait and Bahrain.

Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned the Qeshm Island strike and the tanker attack as violations of the April 8 ceasefire. It held Kuwait and Bahrain responsible for allowing their territory to support U.S. operations and reserved the right to respond further. CENTCOM rejected Iranian claims of successful strikes on the U.S. Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain and a regional airbase, stating that all such projectiles were intercepted or missed.

The exchanges come on day 96 of the conflict and follow a temporary ceasefire that has not produced a final agreement. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Congress that sanctions relief remains tied to Iranian nuclear concessions rather than any opening of the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that continued Israeli operations in Lebanon could end talks. Both sides have reported no direct communication in recent days despite earlier statements that discussions were ongoing.

Related fighting continues in Lebanon, where Israeli strikes killed at least five people and wounded dozens more in southern towns. Hezbollah said it launched attacks on Israeli positions in response. The cumulative effect of the Hormuz closure and blockade has already tightened global oil supplies, though specific price movements were not detailed in immediate reporting.