Drone attack hits Kuwait airport, flights suspended amid regional escalation

Kuwait International Airport suspended commercial flights on June 3 after a drone attack attributed to Iran struck the facility, causing significant damage to the passenger terminal and injuring several people. The attack came hours after renewed missile exchanges between Iran and US forces in the Gulf, further intensifying regional tensions. Kuwait’s Defence Ministry spokesperson, Brig Gen Saud Abdulaziz Al-Otaibi, confirmed that a number of hostile drones targeted the airport, which had only recently resumed operations on June 1 following an earlier shutdown linked to regional conflict. The US military reported that two Iranian missiles aimed at Kuwait disintegrated mid-air, while others targeting Bahrain were intercepted. US Central Command also stated it had shot down multiple drones directed at American forces stationed in Kuwait. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claimed responsibility for strikes targeting the headquarters of the US Navy’s 5th Fleet in Bahrain, though it did not explicitly name Kuwait in its statement. The Guard described the attacks as retaliation for US military action against an Iranian oil tanker and warned that any aggression would be met with a stronger response. In response, US Central Command struck an Iranian ground control facility on Qeshm Island near the Strait of Hormuz. Regional tensions also escalated in Lebanon, where Iran-backed Hezbollah was involved in heightened activity. Iranian semi-official news agencies reported that Tehran had paused communication with mediators over a possible ceasefire, though a regional official told The Associated Press that Iran had not yet responded to mediation efforts. US President Donald Trump denied a stall in talks, stating that conversations were ongoing daily, though US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed cautious optimism about nuclear-related negotiations without guaranteeing an agreement.