US strikes Qeshm Island, Iran retaliates with hits on Kuwait and Bahrain

Kuwait demanded that two Iranian embassy staff leave the country within 24 hours on Wednesday after an Iranian attack on the country's airport that killed one person and injured dozens more.

Kuwait's deputy foreign affairs minister Hamad Suleiman Al-Mashaan summoned Iran's charge d'affaires in Kuwait, Hamed Hamid Yaqoubi Far, and "handed him an official protest note regarding the continued Iranian attacks and the decision to reduce the number of members of the Iranian Embassy in the country and to consider two members of the Iranian diplomatic mission persona non grata, and request their departure from the territory of the State of Kuwait within a maximum period of 24 hours" the ministry said in a statement.

A soldier from the Lebanese army was killed in an Israeli air strike "while moving along the Nabatieh-Kafartabineh road", the army announced.

Not long after, Lebanon's National News Agency also reported that at least two paramedics had been killed in other Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon.

The Ministry of Public Health said in a statement carried by NNA that the two were killed by an "Israeli enemy strike" that "directly targeted an ambulance" that belonged to the Al-Risala Association in Shouhour, in the Tyre district.

Another paramedic was critically injured and required immediate attention in the operating room, the statement said.

The Palestinian health ministry in Gaza reports that three Palestinians were killed and 35 wounded by Israel in the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours.

The ministry noted several people remain under rubble and on roads, with civil defence crews still unable to reach them.

Since the October 2025 "ceasefire", the ministry has recorded 936 fatalities and 2,903 injuries, with 781 bodies recovered from debris.

In a phone call today, Wednesday, with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani discussed Pakistani mediation efforts between the United States and Iran, and coordinating efforts to support mediation aimed at reducing the escalation, thus contributing to enhancing security and stability in the region. 

During the call, the Qatari Prime Minister expressed the need for all parties to respond to the ongoing mediation efforts in a way that opens the way for addressing the roots of the crisis through peaceful means and dialogue, and leads to reaching a sustainable agreement that prevents renewed escalation.

Kuwait’s health ministry says 63 people were injured in today’s Iranian drone and missile strikes that hit a terminal at Kuwait International Airport.

Seven "major emergency" surgeries were performed, it added.

The attack early this morning killed one person and damaged vital facilities at the airport, as well as at diplomatic missions.

US President Donald Trump admitted that he had a tense call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying in an interview broadcast on Wednesday that he was concerned about Israel's war on Lebanon.

Trump added in the podcast interview, "It actually happened... I wasn't angry, but I was a little annoyed by his ongoing conflict with Lebanon."

He quickly added that his relationship with Netanyahu remains excellent.

Former Dutch ambassador Nikolaos van Dam recounts how political pressure and bias shaped Western policy on Israel's occupation of Palestine.

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US President Donald Trump said that Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is actively engaged in negotiations with the United States, claiming that Iran has "agreed not to possess a nuclear weapon."

He added, "I may meet with the Iranian Supreme Leader at some point."

Kuwait said it would resume flights for its flagship airline on Wednesday, hours after saying an Iranian attack had forced the airport to close and killed one person.

"The General Authority of Civil Aviation announced on Wednesday the resumption of all Kuwait Airways flights only, from Kuwait International Airport," it said in a statement.

Kuwait's foreign ministry announces one person was killed as a result of the drone and missile strikes that hit Terminal 1 at Kuwait International Airport this morning.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses the State of Kuwait’s condemnation and denunciation, in the strongest terms, of the brutal and ongoing Iranian attacks using ballistic missiles and drones, the latest of which occurred at dawn today, targeting once again civilian and vital facilities, including Kuwait International Airport, resulting in the death of one individual, injuries to others, and damage to vital facilities, including diplomatic missions," the ministry said on X.

The country reserves its "full and inherent right" to take appropriate measures in response to the "sinful and repeated Iranian aggressions", it added.

The military adviser to Iran's supreme leader on Wednesday warned of more missile and drone strikes should the United States renew its attacks on Iran.

"Every shot fired, and every attack will be met with a deluge of missiles and drones," Mohsen Rezaei posted on X, adding that "the aggressor will swiftly be punished".

The warning followed US strikes on an Iranian tanker and on Iran's Qeshm island, sparking retaliatory attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain.

Iran has condemned what it described as US ⁠attacks, saying ‌they violated a ceasefire understanding and international law.

The ⁠Foreign ⁠Ministry said Kuwait and Bahrain bear "direct and clear responsibility" for ⁠the attacks, alleging ⁠their territory and facilities have been used to support US ⁠military operations against Iran.

Tehran said it reserved the right to self-defence and would use all available means to respond, including targeting the source of any future attacks.

Doctors Without Borders, known by its French initials, MSF, condemned Monday's Israeli strike on a hospital in Tyre, southern Lebanon, which killed at least four people and wounded 127, describing it as "a grave failure to protect the medical mission".

Israel struck in the vicinity of Jabal Amel Hospital in Tyre on Monday evening, causing enormous damage to the building and its medical equipment.

"The strike caused severe damage to Jabal Amel hospital, including its inpatient department, radiology department, and intensive care unit. One wall of an operating room has been severely damaged, leaving a large hole, and the medical team had to urgently transfer half of the remaining patients in the intensive care unit to another ward to ensure their safety," MSF said in a statement.

"These repeated attacks reflect a grave failure to protect the medical mission and underscore the urgent need to safeguard civilians, medical staff, health facilities, and continuous access to lifesaving care," said Omar Ebeid, MSF Project Coordinator in southern Lebanon.

A top Emirati official called on Wednesday for a united stance from the Gulf after renewed attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain that were blamed on Iran.

"In light of Iran's repeated aggression against the brotherly states of Kuwait and Bahrain, a firm, unified and cohesive Gulf stance is imperative. No Gulf state should be left to face these attacks alone, because the security of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states is interconnected, their interests are shared, and their destiny is one and the same," said UAE presidential advisor Anwar Gargash in a post on X.

"This aggression does not just target one country, it targets us all," he added.

Lebanese media reports that an Israeli strike occurred on the main highway near the town of Khalde, just south of the capital, Beirut.

Two more vehicles were reportedly targeted in the southern town of Deir ez-Zahrani.

Meanwhile, Israeli drones are loud, hovering once again over the Lebanese capital. 

The US-Israel war on Iran has dented economic growth prospects worldwide, with a more severe shock likely if no effective ceasefire is agreed before 2027, the OECD warned Wednesday.

Global economic growth is now forecast to reach 2.8 per cent this year if Gulf exports of oil and gas return to pre-conflict levels in the third quarter, the group of 38 industrialised countries said in its quarterly update.

If the war continues into next year, however, global growth could slow to 2.1 per cent, the OECD said.

Lebanon's National News Agency reported that Israel had killed 7 so far, including a paramedic, in various attacks on several towns in southern Lebanon.

An Israeli airstrike targeting the town of Haboush, Nabatieh district, killed 4 Syrian nationals. Another Israeli strike on the Maamoura-Al-Hosh road in the city of Tyre killed two Palestinians.

 In the town of Arabsalim in the Nabatieh District, a paramedic from the "Al-Resala" Health Ambulance Association was killed.

According to Israeli media, a new report from the Knesset Research and Information Centre reveals that in recent years, more Israelis have left the country than returned.

The report also found that nearly half of those who have left since 2022 are young people aged 20-44, who make up a much smaller share of the population. In 2023, more families than singles left the country, but more singles than families returned. According to the most recent data from 2022, 33.2% of those leaving held a bachelor's degree, while their share of the population is only 21.5%. The rate of those leaving with a master's degree is 23.5%, double their share in the population at 11.9%.

The Bahraini army announced that it intercepted three missiles and several drones targeting civilian infrastructure, which it attributed to Iran and its "systematic aggression".

The military condemned the strikes as a violation of international law and claimed it is ready to continue protecting Bahrain.

The Lebanese Ministry of Health announced in a statement that 5 people were killed and 48 wounded, including a doctor and health workers, at Tebnine Hospital, by Israeli strikes from midnight on Monday and Tuesday until 8 pm local time/

The ministry summarised the events, saying at Burj Al-Shamali, Israeli attacks killed two, including a child, and wounded 32, including four Palestinians, one of whom is a child.

At Abba, Israeli attacks killed 3 and wounded 5, including a woman and a Syrian national.

And at Tebnine, Israeli attacks wounded 11, including a doctor and 5 employees of the Tebnine Governmental Hospital, "which was damaged in an additional episode in the series of attacks carried out by the Israeli enemy on hospitals and health centres, violating all international norms and laws." 

A military official in Kuwait strongly condemned the Iranian missile and drone attacks that wounded an unspecified number of people and shut down the international airport.

Brigadier-General Saud Abdulaziz Al-Otaibi, a Defence Ministry spokesman, described the attack as "criminal Iranian aggression which resulted in significant material damage to the building and injuries".

Iran's IRGC released a statement regarding the overnight attacks in the Gulf.

"Late last night, the aggressive US military struck an Iranian oil tanker near the Strait of Hormuz with an aerial projectile, causing damage to the tanker's engine room," the statement said. "In response to this act of aggression and the violation of regulations governing the Strait of Hormuz, a vessel belonging to the American-Zionist enemy, named Panaya, was targeted by missiles launched by the IRGC Navy."

"In response, the IRGC Aerospace Force carried out missile and drone strikes against their air and helicopter base located in one of the countries of the region, as well as against the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet," the statement added. "We had previously warned that any act of aggression would be met with a different and more severe response, and we have acted accordingly. These responses should serve as a lesson. We reiterate that disrupting the security of the Strait of Hormuz will carry a heavy price for the aggressive US military."

Oil prices extended gains on Wednesday as talks to end the US-Israeli war on Iran stuttered.

Despite Donald Trump's assurances that the United States and Iran are edging closer to ending their three-month-long war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, crude investors appear unmoved as they await solid progress.

Unease on trading floors has risen this week after reports in Iran said it had broken off contact over Israel's attacks on Lebanon, which the US president denied on Tuesday.

"Fake News Reports that the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the USA, stopped speaking a few days ago are false and erroneous," he wrote on his Truth Social network.

"The conversations between us have been going on continuously, including four days ago, three days ago, two days ago, one day ago, and today."

He added: "Where they lead, one never knows, but as I told Iran, 'It's time, one way or another, for you to make a Deal. You've been doing this for 47 years, and it cannot be allowed to go on any longer!'"

Israel is continuing attacks on Lebanon, jeopardising the fragile truce between Washington and Tehran, while Iran fired missiles at nearby countries.

The president said he remained upbeat about a deal.

However, the US military said Tuesday it had "successfully defeated" a series of Iranian missile and drone attacks in the Gulf and conducted self-defence strikes on the country's Qeshm Island. Centcom also said three attack drones launched by Iran "toward civilian mariners" had been hit.

Uncertainty about a peace deal pushed oil prices up more than one per cent, with both main contracts up around five per cent this week.

Israeli strikes have bombarded southern Lebanon overnight and into the morning, while Hezbollah announced that it has successfully targeted Israeli soldiers in battle, destroying at least 2 tanks and causing casualties. 

Overnight, the US army announced strikes on allegedly Iranian military sites on Qeshm Island. Soon after, IRGC forces responded with a series of missiles and drones towards Kuwait and Bahrain.

Kuwait airport's Terminal 1 apparently has been hit, with the General Civil Aviation Authority announcing material damage and human casualties. All flights have been cancelled and transferred to alternative airports in the country.