Iran unleashed a heavy overnight barrage on Kuwait early Saturday (July 18), striking Kuwait Petroleum Corporation facilities and a key power and desalination plant — the second attack on Kuwaiti infrastructure in days.
Kuwait's foreign ministry accused Iran of systematically targeting civilian sites and vital infrastructure, saying it "endangers the lives and safety of civilians."
Kuwait's foreign ministry accused Iran of systematically targeting civilian sites and vital infrastructure, saying it "endangers the lives and safety of civilians."
Local outlet Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) reports an unspecified Kuwait Petroleum Corporation site suffered "significant material losses" and that Kuwait airport suspended flights amid multiple rounds of sirens from around dawn. A Kuwaiti army base was also struck, injuring several personnel.
The Al-Subiya power station was hit, and a transformer at the Zour South electricity and desalination complex was struck — sparking a fire. It marks Tehran's first targeting of power infrastructure during the current escalation and the second attack on Kuwaiti power infrastructure in days, after a transformer at Zour South was hit Friday (July 17). Authorities disconnected several power-generating units as a precaution and urged residents to conserve electricity.
The strikes are part of Iran's ongoing campaign against US military sites in Kuwait, including Ali Al Salem base. Iran has also been targeting US bases in Jordan and Bahrain in retaliation for US strikes. The IRGC claimed its 20th wave of "Nasr 2" operations destroyed several American aircraft at a US airbase in Jordan — an extraordinary claim that remains uncorroborated by any independent reporting.
Bahrain and Jordan intercepted Iranian missiles and drones overnight. The barrage followed a seventh consecutive night of US strikes targeting Iranian surveillance sites, weapons storage, logistics infrastructure and maritime offensive capabilities, as the Department of War seeks to erode Tehran's leverage on the Strait of Hormuz. US strikes hit six road bridges and reports of attacks near Bushehr's nuclear power plant and the province of Lorestan, according to Iranian state media. The hostilities were triggered by an Iranian drone strike on a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz on June 25, days after the US and Iran signed a preliminary ceasefire deal.
Crude oil prices surged sharply, posting their biggest rise since April, as shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz slumped significantly. Bloomberg transit data shows tanker activity at the maritime chokepoint has all but ceased, based on ships activating their transponders. US-sanctioned Iranian tankers are U-turning and zig-zagging in the Gulf of Oman as the US enforces an aggressive blockade of Iranian shipping, having redirected three merchant ships, boarded one vessel, and disabled a non-compliant tanker.
Kuwait relies on desalination for roughly 90% of its freshwater. If major desalination plants or their transmission systems were knocked offline, the result could quickly become a humanitarian emergency in dense coastal cities.
Iran has threatened a "full-scale offensive" in response to US strikes, with the Strait of Hormuz remaining virtually closed as of Saturday (July 18).