IRIA News

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One person was killed, and more than 60 others were injured after Iranian drone strikes on Kuwait International Airport and targets in Bahrain on May 3, 2026. The escalation comes as the U.S. and Iran exchanged fresh missile and drone strikes amid efforts to secure a new ceasefire agreement.

Despite the exchange of heavy, U.S. President Trump said that talks with Iran were continuing, adding: “We don’t need boots on the ground now.” He later claimed Iran was “pretty close” to signing a peace agreement with the U.S. and “it could happen over the weekend”.

Kuwaiti authorities described the attack as “criminal Iranian aggression,” while the country’s foreign ministry said several diplomatic facilities were also damaged. Airport operations were temporarily disrupted following the strikes.

The victim was later identified as an Indian citizen. India’s foreign ministry confirmed that several other Indian nationals were injured in the attack and called on all sides to halt further violence.

Kuwaiti officials inspect damage inside Terminal 1 at Kuwait International Airport following reported Iranian drone strikes that killed 1 Indian national and injured 63 peoplepic.twitter.com/zHLwbjNBQX

— IRIA (@IRIA_Research) June 4, 2026

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for the operation, saying the attacks were launched in response to recent U.S. military actions near the Strait of Hormuz and on Qeshm Island in southern Iran.

“In response to this aggression, the Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, which hosts helicopters, as well as the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, were targeted with missiles and drones by the Guards’ forces,” the IRGC said in a statement on Telegram.

However, later the IRGC denied that it had targeted Kuwait’s airport, according to the state broadcaster IRIB. IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebbi said investigations showed that the force’s Aerospace Division had not fired at the passenger terminal.

U.S. and Iran exchange fire

According to the IRGC, an Iranian oil tanker near the Strait of Hormuz was struck by an aerial projectile late Tuesday, causing damage to the vessel’s engine section. The group also accused U.S. forces of targeting a communications tower belonging to the Revolutionary Guard near Qeshm Island.

Iran said its Aerospace Force subsequently launched missile and drone attacks against U.S. military positions in the region, including facilities linked to the U.S. Fifth Fleet and bases located in Kuwait. This claim, however, was denied by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).

🚫CLAIM: Iran claimed today that it did not attack the passenger terminal at Kuwait International Airport and damage was instead caused by a U.S. missile interceptor. Totally FALSE.

✅TRUTH: Iran struck the civilian airport with drones in a deliberate, calculated, and… pic.twitter.com/OVrzeDibQl

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) June 3, 2026

Iranian state media also reported explosions near the areas of Suza and Masen on Qeshm Island shortly before the retaliatory strikes were launched.

The U.S. military said its actions were defensive in nature and were intended to counter Iranian threats across the region. CENTCOM stated that overnight operations targeted an Iranian military ground control station on Qeshm Island after what it described as attempted Iranian attacks throughout the Middle East.

CENTCOM also said U.S. forces intercepted or destroyed several Iranian drones and missiles. According to the U.S. military, three Iranian attack drones launched toward civilian vessels in regional waters were shot down before reaching their targets.

The command further claimed that Iran fired missiles toward Kuwait and Bahrain, but said they either broke apart before impact or were intercepted by defensive systems.

In a separate incident, U.S. forces struck an oil tanker sailing toward Iran as part of Washington’s ongoing naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. According to CENTCOM, the vessel ignored repeated warnings before a U.S. aircraft fired a Hellfire missile into its engine room, disabling the ship.

The blockade, which began in April, has become one of the central points of contention between the two countries and remains a major obstacle to efforts to reduce tensions.

Kuwait Expels Iranian Diplomats

Following the attack on the airport, Kuwait moved quickly to respond diplomatically. The Kuwaiti foreign ministry ordered two Iranian diplomats to leave the country within 24 hours and summoned Iran’s chargé d’affaires to protest the strikes.

Iran also increased pressure on Gulf states following the incident. In a statement issued in Tehran, Iran’s foreign ministry said the leaders of Kuwait and Bahrain bore “direct and unmistakable responsibility” for what it described as acts of aggression carried out against Iran.

Both Kuwait and Bahrain host U.S. military facilities, making them key strategic partners for Washington in the Gulf region. Iran has previously threatened military action against countries hosting U.S. forces if it believes they are being used to support operations against Iranian territory.

Iran’s foreign ministry said Kuwait and Bahrain bore “direct and clear responsibility” for the attacks, alleging their territory and facilities had been used to support U.S. military operations against Iran.

In response, Kuwait’s foreign ministry denied Iran’s accusations, saying that its territory and airspace were not used to attack “any country”. Kuwait’s ministry said: “The false Iranian claims are baseless and do not rely on evidence.”

Fragile Ceasefire

The latest exchange of attacks comes at a particularly sensitive moment, as diplomatic efforts aimed at preserving a ceasefire between the United States and Iran have stalled.

A Pakistan-brokered ceasefire took effect on April 8 following months of intense fighting that began after U.S. and Israeli airstrikes targeted Iran. The conflict resulted in thousands of casualties and the deaths of several senior Iranian military and political figures, including former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Despite the ceasefire, negotiations on a broader peace agreement have made little progress in recent weeks. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed optimism that a deal remains possible. Speaking this week, Trump said Iran “really wants to make a deal” and suggested that discussions were continuing despite ongoing disagreements.

Trump also said Iran had already agreed not to pursue nuclear weapons and indicated that future talks with the Iranian leadership remained possible.

However, Iranian officials have accused Washington of repeatedly changing its demands during negotiations. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei recently said the United States was “constantly changing its views and putting forward new or contradictory demands.”

Disputes over the future of the Strait of Hormuz, sanctions relief, and Iran’s nuclear program remain among the most contentious issues preventing a broader agreement.

The attack on Kuwait’s airport and the subsequent U.S.-Iran exchanges have now raised fresh concerns that the already fragile ceasefire could unravel, further destabilizing a region that remains critical to global energy supplies and international security.