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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Kuwait briefly shut its main airport Wednesday after Iranian drones heavily damaged a passenger terminal, killed one person
and wounded dozens — the latest in back-and-forth attacks by Iran and the U.S. that test a fragile ceasefire. The strike reinforced the risks to residents and travelers in Gulf countries that had considered themselves relative havens before the war, now in its fourth month.
Talks have dragged on for weeks as mediators seek a more enduring truce in the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, increasingly strained by Israel’s broadening conflict with Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.A regional official indicated that Iran sought a separate ceasefire in Lebanon enforced before returning to negotiations. U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that negotiations continue amidst the ongoing tensions.
The fighting in Lebanon has revealed a rift between Israel and the U.S., which is urging its ally for restraint. In a measure of the friction, Trump acknowledged that he had referred to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as “crazy” during a phone call earlier this week. Nonetheless, both leaders assert that their rapport remains solid.
Iran maintains control over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global oil and natural gas, while the U.S. continues its blockade of Iranian ports. The conflict has contributed to high global fuel prices, with repercussions extending beyond the region.
In Washington, House Speaker Mike Johnson stated that he, Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio met for three hours at the White House on Monday, as Trump focused on “that final piece” of restoring commerce. Rubio faced scrutiny in Congress regarding the war and its economic implications.
A spokesperson for Kuwait's Defense Ministry, Brig. Gen. Saud Abdulaziz Al-Otaibi, reported that “a number of hostile drones” targeted a passenger building at Kuwait International Airport, which had just reopened after a lengthy closure due to the ongoing conflict that commenced on February 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.
India’s embassy confirmed that the individual killed in the attack was an Indian national. Authorities reported 63 injuries, with some victims sustaining serious wounds.
Kuwait's Defense Ministry stated it intercepted over a dozen missiles and a similar number of drones launched from Iran.
Following the attack, the airport partially reopened, with Kuwait Airways resuming flights from a different terminal, according to civil aviation authorities. No other flights were operational at the time.
The Foreign Ministry declared that Kuwait will “neither accept nor tolerate” such attacks, announcing the expulsion of two Iranian diplomats as a formal response to the aggression.
The U.S. military reported that two Iranian missiles malfunctioned en route to Kuwait and confirmed it had “downed multiple drones” targeting American forces in the region.
Additionally, U.S. and Bahraini forces intercepted missiles directed at the Gulf kingdom, which hosts the U.S. Navy’s 5th fleet. Bahrain’s Defense Ministry reported that its military intercepted and destroyed three missiles and several drones fired by Iran.
Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard acknowledged targeting the headquarters of the 5th Fleet and U.S. military facilities in another country, although it did not specify Kuwait.
Both nations claimed their actions were retaliatory in nature, responding to previous attacks or attempted strikes.
The U.S. military also conducted strikes on an Iranian military ground control station on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned the U.S. strikes on the island, asserting that they constituted “acts of aggression” that violated the ceasefire.
Israeli forces have advanced deeper into Lebanon than at any point in over 25 years, while Hezbollah has launched rocket and drone attacks. Although a declared ceasefire exists in Lebanon, no side has formally withdrawn or declared it over, even as hostilities persist.
Iran insists that any broader potential truce must address the conflict in Lebanon. Netanyahu, facing domestic pressure to confront Hezbollah as elections approach this fall, aims to keep the issues separate.
In a podcast interview released Wednesday, Trump confirmed a report stating he called Netanyahu “crazy” during a Monday phone conversation, expressing frustration that Israel’s conflict with Hezbollah hindered talks with Iran.
Despite this, Trump maintained that his relationship with Netanyahu remains positive, stating, “we’ve worked very well together.”
Netanyahu responded by acknowledging that while he and Trump occasionally have “tactical disagreements,” they share “common goals” and “agree on the main things.”
“He respects me. I respect him. We always find a way to work out our differences,” Netanyahu said in an interview on CNBC.
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Magdy reported from Cairo. Associated Press writers Elena Becatoros in Athens, Greece, Sheikh Saaliq in New Delhi, Sam Mednick in Jerusalem, Jennifer Peltz in New York, and Lisa Mascaro and Konstantin Toropin in Washington contributed to this report.
