Kuwait announced on Wednesday the suspension of civil flights after a drone strike from Iran damaged the country’s main airport, resulting in injuries. This incident came just hours after missile attacks by both Iran and the United States in the region.
The strike followed reports from Iran’s semi-official news agency, which indicated that the country had ceased communication with mediators regarding a potential extension of the ceasefire in the ongoing conflict involving the United States and Israel.
U.S. President Donald Trump refuted these claims, asserting that discussions were still active.
The exchange of hostilities in the Gulf and Israel’s intensified military actions in Lebanon have complicated attempts to resolve the ongoing war with Iran.
Drone Attack on Kuwait’s Airport
Brig. General Saud Abdulaziz al-Otaibi, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense, reported that multiple “hostile drones” targeted a passenger terminal at Kuwait International Airport, causing considerable damage and injuring several individuals.
This attack occurred shortly after the airport had reopened on June 1, following a closure in February related to the conflict with Iran. Kuwait Airways has announced a temporary suspension of its operations.
Earlier on Tuesday, the U.S. military stated it had conducted strikes on Iranian military locations in retaliation for missiles launched toward Kuwait and Bahrain. Although Iran did fire two missiles at Kuwait, they reportedly disintegrated mid-air, while U.S. and Bahraini forces intercepted the missiles aimed at Bahrain.
Bahrain’s Ministry of Defense reported intercepting and destroying three missiles and several drones from Iran. Additionally, U.S. Central Command confirmed that it shot down multiple unmanned aircraft targeting its troops stationed in Kuwait.
The Revolutionary Guards of Iran claimed responsibility for targeting the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet in Bahrain and others, but did not specifically name Kuwait. They justified their actions as retaliation against a U.S. missile attack on an oil tanker attempting to reach Iran despite the blockade.
They issued a warning that they would respond differently if attacked, and they followed through with their declared actions.
In response, Central Command attacked an Iranian military ground control site on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz.
Reports of Cessation in Negotiations
Iran’s Fars and Tasnim news agencies, which have close ties with the Revolutionary Guards, reported that Iranian negotiators had stopped contacting ceasefire mediators amid increased tensions surrounding Israel’s conflict with the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.
A regional official involved in mediation, who wished to remain anonymous, informed the Associated Press that there had been no communication on Tuesday after Iran expressed the need for a ceasefire in Lebanon to advance negotiations.
President Trump dismissed reports about halting talks as “false and false,” stating that conversations had been ongoing continuously over the days leading to the report. He emphasized the importance of reaching an agreement with Iran.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio refrained from mentioning the supposed communication halt during congressional testimony, focusing instead on the nuclear negotiation issues, though he cautioned that there were no guarantees of reaching an “acceptable agreement.”
As discussions progress, the U.S. aims to reduce Iran’s influence in the Strait of Hormuz and on the flow of oil, gas, and other goods passing through this critical area.
Linking Iran’s War to Israel’s Actions in Lebanon
The conflict with Iran is becoming increasingly tied to Israel’s actions in Lebanon, where Iran asserts that a ceasefire there is crucial to the overall resolution. Israeli forces have advanced further into Lebanon than at any point in the last 25 years.
President Trump might have the ability to persuade Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to either halt or slow military operations, but both Israel and the U.S. maintain that the conflict in Lebanon is separate from ongoing negotiations regarding Iran.
