2026 Iranian strikes on Kuwait
Retaliatory strikes in the 2026 Iran war
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On 28 February 2026, during the 2026 Iran war, Iran began launching a series of retaliatory strikes on American and Kuwaiti targets within Kuwait.
| 2026 Iranian strikes on Kuwait | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the 2026 Iran war | |||||||
  2026 Iranian strikes on Kuwait (Kuwait) | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Iran |
 Kuwait United States Italy Canada | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| Undisclosed |
13,000 servicemen 100 soldiers[1] | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
97 ballistic missiles and 283 drones shot down[2] |
7 soldiers killed, dozens wounded[3][4][5] 3 F-15Es shot down (friendly fire) 1 CH-47 Chinook helicopter destroyed 4 servicemembers killed, 77 wounded[a] No human casualties[6]1 MQ-9 Reaper drone destroyed and 2 Eurofighter Typhoon damaged[7][1] None[8] | ||||||
| 6 civilians killed, 38 civilians injured in Kuwait[a] | |||||||
Incidents
28 February
An Iranian drone struck Kuwait International Airport[9] and the Ali Al Salem Air Base (which houses Italian forces).[10]
March 1
An Iranian drone struck the US garrison at Camp Buehring in northeastern Kuwait.[11] 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.[12]
Another Iranian missile attack targeted a makeshift operation center near the civilian port of Shuaiba, Kuwait. Six US soldiers were killed[4] and dozens were wounded, of those 38 were hospitalized in various medical centers.[13]
March 2
Two Navy servicemen from Kuwait were killed in the line of duty, according to Kuwaiti officials.[14]
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. The United States embassy in Kuwait was likely hit by an Iranian missile strike.[15][16][17]
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.[8] The Canadian government is facing criticism for not being transparent about the attack.[18]
March 6
The Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense reported that 67 Kuwaiti servicemembers had been wounded during the conflict.[19]
March 9
The Interior Ministry of Kuwait reported the deaths of two border guards during an incident at dawn.[20] 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."[21]
March 10–11
Kuwait said it intercepted Iranian missiles and drones overnight.[22]
March 12
Kuwait's electricity ministry said that debris from Iranian drones put six power lines out of service.[23]
March 15
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.[24][7] Also two Italian Eurofighter Typhoons were damaged in the ground by shrapnel and remained unoperational.[1] No personnel were injured in the attack.[25]
March 17
Two minor injuries were reported as a result of falling shrapnel from the missile and drone interceptions.[26]
March 19
A drone hit the Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery, causing a small fire. No injuries were reported.[27][28]
March 20
Kuwait reported that its Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery was hit again by an Iranian attack.[29]
March 23
The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps released a video supposedly showing that they were sending missiles and drones at a US base in Kuwait.[30]
March 24
Iranian drones struck a fuel tank at Kuwait International Airport, starting a fire. Damage but no casualty were reported.[31]
March 28
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.[32]
March 29
Kuwait's National Guard shot down four drones.[33] The defense ministry said that 10 soldiers were injured by ballistic missiles and drones that hit a military camp.[34]
March 30
The Kuwaiti National Guard said that it shot down five drones.[35] An Indian worker was killed after an Iranian strike on a power and water desalination plant in Kuwait.[36][37] Another Indian worker in Kuwait was killed by falling Iranian missile debris.[38]
March 31
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 is fear of oil spill and fires.[39][40]
April 3
Kuwait's Ministry of Electricity, Water, and Renewable Energy reported that Iranian drones have struck its power and desalination plant, causing damage to the structure.[41] A drone hit the Mina al-Ahmadi refinery, causing several fires and damage, but no injuries.[42][43]
An Iranian drone destroyed a US Army Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopter on the ground in Kuwait.[44][45]
April 5
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.[46][47]
April 6
Six people were injured by debris from an Iranian attack.[48]
Fifteen Americans were wounded in an overnight Iranian drone strike on Ali Al Salem Air Base.[49]
April 8
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.[50][51]
April 9
Drones attacked vital infrastructure in Kuwait, prompting the country to respond by fending them off.[52][53]
Casualties
In the strikes against Kuwait, four soldiers and six civilians were killed while 77 soldiers and 38 civilians were injured.[a]
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.[58]
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.[59] Also on 11 April, Saudi Arabia condemned Iranian drone attacks on Kuwait.[60]
On 20 April, the US urged a defense contractor to evacuate its workers from Kuwait out of fear of attacks from Iran-backed militias.[61]