On 28 February 2026, during the 2026 Iran war, Iran began launching a series of retaliatory strikes on American and Kuwaiti targets within Kuwait.
Incidents
=== February === 28 February Iranian drones struck Kuwait International Airport and the Ali Al Salem Air Base.
=== March === 1 March An Iranian drone struck the US garrison at Camp Buehring in northeastern Kuwait. Later press research from late April 2026 revealed that an Iranian air force fighter jet, a Northrop F-5, had penetrated the multi layered defences of Camp Buehring and conducted a successful bombing run. Another Iranian missile attack targeted a makeshift operation center near the civilian port of Shuaiba, Kuwait. Six US soldiers were killed and dozens were wounded, of those 38 were hospitalized in various medical centers.
2 March Two Navy servicemen from Kuwait were killed in the line of duty, according to Kuwaiti officials. An F/A-18 of the Kuwait Air Force shot down three American F-15Es in a friendly fire incident. The American crew members survived. That same day, the U.S embassy in Kuwait was likely hit by an Iranian missile strike. The Camp Canada military base located within the Ali Al Salem Air Base was struck by Iranian missiles. During the attack, Canadian soldiers took shelter inside bunkers and suffered no casualties. Satellite images showed that Canadian bunkers had been damaged during the attack. Information regarding the attack was made public on 12 March 2026. The Canadian government later faced criticism for not being transparent about the attack.
6 March The Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense reported that 67 Kuwaiti service members had been wounded during the conflict.
9 March The Interior Ministry of Kuwait reported the deaths of two border guards during an incident at dawn. Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Emir of Kuwait, said his country is facing an unprovoked attack from a neighboring Muslim country "which we consider a friend, and to which we did not allow the use of our land, airspace, or waters for any military action against it."
10–11 March Kuwait said it intercepted several Iranian missiles and drones overnight.
12 March Kuwait's electricity ministry said that debris from Iranian drones put six power lines out of service.
15 March In the afternoon, the Italian garrison at Ali Al Salem Air Base was struck by an Iranian drone and missiles. The attack destroyed a General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper combat drone belonging to the Italian Army. Also two Italian Eurofighter Typhoons were damaged in the ground by shrapnel and remained unoperational. No personnel were injured in the attack.
17 March Two minor injuries were reported as a result of falling shrapnel from Iranian missiles and drones intercepted over the Kuwaiti airspace.
19 March A drone hit the Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery, causing a small fire. No injuries were reported.
20 March Kuwait reported that its Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery was hit again by an Iranian attack.
23 March The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps released a video supposedly showing missiles and drones being launched against a US base in Kuwait.
24 March Iranian drones struck a fuel tank at Kuwait International Airport, starting a fire and causing moderate damage to the airport. No casualties were reported.
28 March Several drones were aimed at Kuwait International Airport. No injuries were reported, but the strikes caused "significant" damage to the radar system at the airport.
29 March Kuwait's National Guard shot down four drones. The defense ministry said that 10 soldiers were injured by ballistic missiles and drones that hit a military camp.
30 March The Kuwaiti National Guard said that it shot down five drones. An Indian worker was killed after an Iranian strike on a power and water desalination plant in Kuwait. Another Indian worker in Kuwait was killed by falling Iranian missile debris.
31 March The Kuwaiti oil tanker Al Salmi was attacked by an Iranian drone, causing damage to its hull. According to the report, no sailors were injured, but there was a possibility of oil spill and fires.
=== April === 3 April Kuwait's Ministry of Electricity, Water, and Renewable Energy reported that Iranian drones struck a power and desalination plant, causing damage to the structure. Another drone also hit the Mina al-Ahmadi refinery, causing several fires and damage, but no injuries. That same day, another Iranian drone damaged a US Army Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopter on the ground.
5 April Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) and Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) confirmed they were attacked by Iranian drones. According to the reports the attacks caused fires to several facilities causing severe damage. No casualties were reported.
6 April Six people were injured by debris from an Iranian attack. Fifteen Americans were wounded in an overnight Iranian drone strike on Ali Al Salem Air Base.
8 April Despite the ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran, Kuwait air defense reported that it has intercepted waves of Iranian drones targeting vital facilities, power stations and water desalination plants, causing major infrastructure damage.
9 April Iranian drones attacked vital infrastructure in Kuwait, resulting in air defence systems to fire.
=== May === 1 May Six Iranian IRGC troops took part in a raid at Bubiyan Island in Kuwait. The IRGC and Kuwait Armed Forces exchanged fire, resulting in the injury of one Kuwaiti soldier. Four of the IRGC troops were captured, while the remainder fled. Kuwait accused Iran of the attack on 12 May. The Iranian foreign ministry stated that the four officers had entered Kuwaiti seas by mistake "due to a disruption in the navigation system". According to The Wall Street Journal, Kuwait launched attacks on Iranian-backed Iraqi militias from its own territory. Iraqi officials reported that there were at least two rocket attacks from Kuwaiti territory in April.
=== June === 3 June An Iranian drone struck the Kuwait International Airport, leading to the temporary shutdown of the airspace and damage to Terminal 1, as well as 1 death and 63 injuries. Iran’s IRGC denied the attacks, saying it resulted from a malfunctioning MIM-104 Patriot battery, although footage from the Kuwait News Agency showed an Iranian Shahed-136 drone attacking the Airport. Kuwaiti authorities condemned the attack and vowed retaliation.
=== July === 18 July On 18 July, after an American airstrike on a desalination plant in Jask, Iran, the Iranian military targeted a desalination plant in Kuwait.
22 July On 22 July, the Iranian Army reported a wave of one-way drone attacks on the American depot and ground forces logistics center in al-Doha base in Kuwait.
== Casualties == In the strikes against Kuwait, 4 soldiers and 8 civilians were killed, while 82 soldiers and 108 civilians were injured.
== Reactions == On 26 March, Kuwait along with other five Gulf countries (Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, and Jordan) issued a joint condemnation about Iran and its affiliated armed groups in Iraq, attacks against countries in the region and their facilities and infrastructure. On 11 April, Kuwait announced that it arrested 24 people in a plot to undermine national security, with some of the actors connected to Iran. Also on 11 April, Saudi Arabia condemned Iranian drone attacks on Kuwait. On 20 April, the US urged defense contractor Vectrus to evacuate its workers from Kuwait out of fear of attacks from Iran-backed militias.
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