Gulf tensions escalated sharply on Wednesday after an Iranian missile and drone attack damaged facilities at Kuwait International Airport, prompting flight suspensions and renewed fears that the fragile ceasefire between Iran and the United States could unravel.
The latest exchange of hostilities comes more than three months after the conflict began and despite ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed at securing a lasting agreement between Washington and Tehran.
Kuwaiti authorities temporarily halted airport operations after the attack struck Terminal 1, causing injuries and significant damage to parts of the facility.
Flights were diverted to other destinations while emergency teams assessed the situation.
Kuwait Airways also suspended operations before later announcing plans to resume services once safety checks were completed.
Bahrain reported that its air defenses intercepted three missiles and several drones during the same wave of attacks.
The United States Central Command said several Iranian missiles either fell short of their targets or broke apart during flight.
It added that American and allied forces intercepted other incoming projectiles and drones aimed at regional targets and military facilities.
US forces also carried out strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island, near the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, after what Washington described as attempted attacks by Iran on military assets and civilian shipping.
Iranian state media, however, claimed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeted military facilities linked to the US in the Gulf region, including sites in Bahrain.
Tehran said the attacks were retaliation for what it described as a US strike on an Iranian communications facility near Qeshm.
The renewed confrontation has added pressure to already strained diplomatic efforts.
Although both sides announced a tentative framework for ending the conflict last week, no final agreement has been reached.
Iranian media reported that direct communication between Tehran and Washington had stalled in recent days, though US President Donald Trump insisted talks were continuing.
“The conversations between us have been going on continuously,” Trump said in a social media post, maintaining that negotiations remained active despite the latest violence.
One of the major sticking points remains Iran’s nuclear programme.
Washington continues to demand guarantees that Tehran will not pursue nuclear weapons, while Iran insists its nuclear activities are strictly for civilian purposes.
Tehran is also seeking sanctions relief, access to frozen oil revenues, and the easing of restrictions affecting its energy exports and maritime trade.
The latest violence has raised concerns about the future of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping route through which a significant portion of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies normally pass.
Markets reacted quickly. Oil prices climbed more than one percent as traders weighed the risk of further disruptions to energy supplies and shipping routes in the Gulf.
Meanwhile, the conflict continues to spill across the region.
Israeli forces carried out additional strikes in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, despite a US-backed partial ceasefire announced earlier in the week.
The fighting has displaced more than a million people in Lebanon and deepened humanitarian concerns across the Middle East.
Aid agencies warn that rising transport costs, supply disruptions and continued insecurity are making it increasingly difficult to deliver assistance to vulnerable populations.
With military operations continuing and negotiations yet to produce a breakthrough, hopes for a lasting end to the conflict remain uncertain.
