Widespread Gulf Condemnation of Iranian Missile and Drone Attack Targeting Kuwait and Bahrain

The Kuwaiti army announced today, Wednesday, that the country was subjected to a widespread military attack launched by the Iranian side using ballistic missiles and drones. The military statement clarified that air defenses dealt with about 30 hostile targets launched towards Kuwaiti territory, which caused a state of security and military alert in the region.

The statement issued by the General Staff revealed that the armed forces had detected 13 ballistic missiles penetrating Kuwaiti airspace since dawn today, which were successfully intercepted over various residential areas. The army indicated that falling missile fragments caused material damage, while aerial pursuit continued for 17 other drones that attempted to reach their targets.

According to official sources, the Iranian aggression resulted in targeting sensitive civilian and vital facilities, topped by Kuwait International Airport, which suffered significant damage. The Ministry of Health confirmed the death of an Indian resident due to his injuries, in addition to dozens of people suffering varying injuries as a result of explosions and shrapnel.

For its part, the Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its strong condemnation of these brutal aggressions, describing them as a blatant violation of national sovereignty and international laws. The ministry affirmed that the bombing was not limited to vital facilities but also affected diplomatic missions, representing a dangerous escalation that threatens the security and stability of the entire region.

In Tehran, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard explicitly claimed responsibility for the attacks carried out overnight, stating that they targeted Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait. The Iranian statement claimed that the base houses American helicopters and that the attack also included the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet stationed in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

The Revolutionary Guard justified this military escalation as a response to what it described as American aggression that targeted an Iranian oil tanker and a military point on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian Foreign Ministry held both Kuwait and Manama responsible for the facilities granted to American forces that carried out the attacks on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

Regionally, Gulf condemnations of the attack followed, with Qatar considering the targeting of Kuwait and Bahrain a serious violation of the sovereignty of the two countries. Doha stressed its complete rejection of targeting civilian objects, calling for the necessity of de-escalation and sparing the region the consequences of unjustified military confrontations.

In the context of diplomatic moves, the Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs discussed with his Saudi counterpart efforts to support Pakistani mediation between Washington and Tehran. Both sides emphasized the need for all parties to respond to international efforts aimed at restoring regional security and stability and preventing the region from sliding into a comprehensive conflict.

For its part, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia described the attack as a 'brutal aggression,' affirming its full solidarity with the Kingdom of Bahrain and the State of Kuwait in confronting Iranian threats. Riyadh indicated that this blatant violation requires a firm international stance to stop the hostile policies pursued by Tehran against its neighbors.

In the UAE, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed that these attacks constitute a direct threat to Gulf national security and the stability of international navigation. Abu Dhabi stressed its support for its brothers in Kuwait and Manama, considering that any harm to the security of any Gulf state is a harm to the collective security system of the GCC states.

In turn, the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Jasem Al-Budaiwi, condemned the Iranian aggression in the strongest terms, considering it to reveal continuous hostile intentions. Al-Budaiwi believed that the repetition of these aggressions proves the Iranian regime's insistence on destabilizing the region and striking vital civilian and economic facilities.

Field sources reported that Gulf security proved its interconnectedness through high coordination in monitoring aerial threats and unifying the political discourse towards the crisis. The sources indicated that the unified Gulf message aims to inform the international community that any targeting of a member state is a direct targeting of all Council states.

In Washington, the US Central Command confirmed that it successfully thwarted Iranian drone attack attempts targeting its forces in the region. US air defenses clarified that they shot down several drones without any casualties among their soldiers, affirming continued monitoring of Iranian military movements in the Gulf.

Since dawn today, the armed forces detected and dealt with 13 hostile ballistic missiles within Kuwaiti airspace, and they were intercepted over a number of residential areas.