Iran strikes Kuwait airport, killing one, as Trump says ceasefire means 'shooting in a moderate manner'

Attack on Kuwait airport

Iran launched a barrage of 13 ballistic missiles and 17 drones at Kuwait International Airport's Terminal 1 on Wednesday, according to local authorities. The strike killed an Indian national residing in Kuwait and wounded at least 63 people, severely damaging airport facilities and forcing the suspension of all flights. Kuwait's defence ministry called the attack "criminal Iranian aggression." The foreign ministry summoned Iran's chargé d'affaires and ordered two senior Iranian diplomats to leave the country within 24 hours.

criminal Iranian aggression

Conflicting accounts of responsibility

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps initially did not deny the strikes, describing them as retaliation for US actions. Later, an IRGC spokesman told the Tasnim news agency that Iran had not attacked Kuwait, claiming the damage was caused by malfunctioning US interceptor missiles. The US military rejected that account, stating that Iranian drones deliberately struck the facility. The IRGC said its targets were the US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain and an American vessel identified as the 'Panaya.'

The damage there was caused by misguided US interceptor missiles.

US military response

US Central Command reported that American forces struck Qeshm Island near the Strait of Hormuz, targeting a ground control station, after what it described as attempted Iranian attacks across the Middle East. CENTCOM also said it downed Iranian drones aimed at civilian ships in regional waters and intercepted three missiles heading for Bahrain. The US described its actions as self-defence and confirmed disabling an empty oil tanker heading toward Iran as part of the maritime blockade of the Strait of Hormuz that began on 13 April.

Diplomatic signals amid violence

President Donald Trump told the New York Post he would like to meet Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, saying it "probably will happen." At a press conference, Trump said talks with Iran were progressing and he expected a deal by the weekend. He dismissed questions about the ceasefire by saying that in the Middle East, "a ceasefire is when you're shooting in a more moderate manner." Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araktschi told Al-Majadin that contacts with the US had not been cut off, but progress depended on ending the war against Iran and in Lebanon.

I'd say in that part a world a ceasefire is when you're shooting in a more moderate manner.

Regional spillover and oil markets

Bahrain's army said it intercepted three missiles and several drones. Israeli strikes continued in southern Lebanon, killing at least six people, with a hospital hit in the city of Tyre. Oil prices rose more than 1% as the Strait of Hormuz remained largely closed, disrupting the critical shipping route. India's foreign ministry confirmed the fatality was an Indian citizen and called on all parties to halt such attacks.

We once again call on all parties to stop such attacks.