Iranian drones and missiles targeted Kuwait and Bahrain on Wednesday, hours after the United States said it had carried out strikes on an Iranian military facility on Qeshm Island, amid heightened tensions around Gulf states that host major US military installations .
Kuwait's state news agency KUNA reported that an Iranian drone strike hit a passenger terminal at Kuwait International Airport, wounding several people and forcing the suspension of air traffic.
The General Directorate of Civil Aviation said the attack targeted Terminal 1 at the airport, leading authorities to halt flights and divert aircraft to alternative airports.
Defence Ministry spokesperson Brigadier General Saud Abdulaziz Al Atwan described the strike as "criminal Iranian aggression" that caused significant damage to the terminal building and injured several people.
The attack on Kuwait International Airport came as the country hosts several major US military facilities, including Ali Al Salem Air Base, one of Washington's principal air hubs in the Gulf.
Earlier on Wednesday, Kuwait's General Staff of the Armed Forces said air defence systems had intercepted hostile missiles and drones targeting the country. The military said explosions heard in several areas were the result of interception operations and urged citizens and residents to follow official safety instructions.
In Bahrain, home to the US Navy's Fifth Fleet headquarters at Naval Support Activity Bahrain in Juffair, the Interior Ministry announced before dawn on Wednesday that a previously imposed alert had been lifted and the danger had passed, although precautionary measures remained in place.
The ministry urged citizens and residents to remain cautious and rely only on official channels for updates. Earlier, Bahraini authorities had issued a public safety warning calling on residents to seek shelter in the nearest safe location and avoid main roads before later declaring the threat over.
The attacks came after the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said US forces had carried out strikes on a military facility on Iran's Qeshm Island, which it said was a "defensive" response to threats against US interests in the region.
In a statement posted on X, CENTCOM said US and allied forces later intercepted ballistic missiles and drones launched by Iran and carried out a strike against a military ground control station on Qeshm Island.
CENTCOM said two missiles launched towards Kuwait fell short or broke apart before reaching their targets, while US and Bahraini air defence forces intercepted three missiles fired towards Bahrain. It also said US forces shot down three Iranian attack drones targeting civilians in territorial waters.
Kuwait hosts at least six major US military installations, including Ali Al Salem Air Base, Ahmad Al Jaber Air Base, Camp Arifjan, Camp Buehring, Camp Patriot and Camp Spearhead.
Bahrain hosts Naval Support Activity Bahrain, the headquarters of US Naval Forces Central Command and the US Fifth Fleet.
The developments came as US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that communication between Washington and Tehran was continuing.
"Fake News Reports that the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the U.S.A., stopped speaking a few days ago are false and erroneous," Trump said in a post on Truth Social. "The conversations between us have been going on continuously, including four days ago, three days ago, two days ago, one day ago, and today," Trump wrote.
"Where they lead, one never knows, but as I told Iran , 'It's time, one way or another, for you to make a Deal. You've been doing this for 47 years, and it cannot be allowed to go on any longer!'"