Kuwait intercepts drones and missiles as Gulf strikes hit border posts and drilling rig

Kuwait said its air defenses intercepted drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles over its airspace, with sirens sounding across Kuwait City and no major casualties or significant damage initially reported from the aerial interceptions. Separately, Kuwait’s Defense Ministry said attacks struck three border posts and an offshore drilling rig, causing structural damage and injuring one worker. The incidents unfolded amid a broader Gulf escalation. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it launched retaliatory strikes against US-linked military targets in Bahrain, Oman, Jordan and Kuwait after US Central Command strikes on dozens of targets in Iran. Kuwait’s army said explosions heard in the country were caused by interceptions, while the IRGC claimed it had struck a US surface-to-surface missile base in Kuwait and destroyed two HIMARS launchers and missile warehouses, a claim not confirmed by Kuwait. The newer source said the latest strikes followed an April 24, 2026 attack in which explosive-laden drones launched from Iraqi territory hit two northern land border posts, causing material damage but no casualties, and noted further siren alerts in Kuwait City between July 9 and July 12, 2026 as air defenses intercepted additional drone and missile threats. The reports also pointed to risks for Kuwait’s energy infrastructure, including the Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery, which processes about 730,000 barrels per day, and to possible spillover into oil prices and inflation expectations.