Iran strikes Gulf states; 2 killed, building burns in Kuwait
Drone strike ignites fire at Kuwait government building as Gulf states intercept missiles and drones launched by Tehran.
Smoke rises from a high-rise building following a drone attack in Kuwait City
Iran launched projectiles on Sunday and Saturday night into several neighboring countries, local and international media reported, including in Kuwait, where a drone strike started a large fire at a government building, and in Bahrain, where a desalination plant was hit.
Footage from Kuwait showed flames engulfing the Public Institution for Social Security building in Kuwait City, the BBC reported. Kuwait’s army said two officers were killed in a strike on the country Sunday.
At least 14 people have died in Iranian attacks across the Persian Gulf, according to a New York Times tally of official casualty figures. Ten were civilians, all foreign nationals, including an 11-year-old girl killed in Kuwait. Iranian projectiles have killed 10 people in Israel since the war with Iran began on Feb. 28.
Israel also struck Iranian petroleum infrastructure for the first time since Feb. 28, destroying about 30 oil storage facilities overnight Saturday and Sunday, according to Israeli media reports.
Bahrain’s Interior Ministry said Sunday that “Iranian aggression indiscriminately attacked civilian targets and caused material damage to a water desalination plant following a drone attack.”
The strike came after Iran said a U.S. airstrike had damaged a desalination plant on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the damage cut water supplies to 30 villages.
Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry said Saturday that air defenses intercepted and destroyed a drone east of Riyadh. Authorities also reported that a ballistic missile launched toward Prince Sultan Air Base exploded in an uninhabited area without causing casualties, the Associated Press reported.
The United Arab Emirates’ Defense Ministry said Sunday it detected 17 ballistic missiles, intercepting 16 while one fell into the sea. The military also detected 117 drones, intercepting 113.
Iran has launched at least 238 ballistic missiles toward the UAE since Feb. 28, the ministry said, along with more than 1,400 drones, most of which were intercepted.
Iran has fired at 11 countries at least since Feb. 28, including Turkey and Azerbaijan, according to media in those countries. Projectiles also struck a British military base in Cyprus, though they were not launched from Iran, the British Ministry of Defense said last week.
On Saturday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said he regretted strikes on neighboring countries and said in a televised speech that “from now on, there should be no more attacks or missile strikes unless they are planning to attack us.” Many Gulf states have U.S. military bases, which are part of the U.S. operation against Iran.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the apology showed pressure on Iran was working. Trump ordered what he said was a preemptive strike against Iran. The U.S. and Israel launched on Feb. 28 the operation, which is codenamed Epic Fury and Roaring Lion, respectively.
“All of a suddenm they apologize to the Middle Eastern states that they shot at them. I was very surprised to see they did that,” Trump told reporters on Saturday. “You mark that down as a victory for us … I guess they’re not going to be shooting at them anymore. They apologized… That’s a surrender right there.”
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