An Iranian drone targeted fuel tanks at Kuwait International Airport in a fresh round of attacks by Iran on Gulf states, Kuwait’s state news agency KUNA reported.
The attack on Wednesday sparked a large fire, and emergency teams who arrived at the site found damage at the facility run by the Kuwait Aviation Fueling Company, according to KUNA.
No casualties from the incident were reported.
Tanker hit by projectiles off Qatar, one unexploded, UKMTO says
In addition, an oil tanker leased to state-owned QatarEnergy was hit by an Iranian cruise missile on Wednesday in Qatari waters, its Defense Ministry said.
Qatar was targeted by three cruise missiles emanating from Iran. Two were intercepted while the third hit the Aqua One fuel oil tanker, but caused no casualties.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it was unable to confirm the source of the projectiles and that investigations were ongoing.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had targeted the oil tanker because of what it said were its ties with Israel.
“Aqua One was precisely targeted in the central region of the Persian Gulf in a missile battle,” state media quoted the IRGC as saying.
The vessel, located some 30 kilometers north of Qatar’s Ras Laffan industrial hub, the site of the world’s largest gas plant, sustained damage above the waterline, but no environmental impact was reported, UKMTO and QatarEnergy said.
Airline Emirates says Iranian nationals barred from entering or transiting UAE
Meanwhile, the website of Dubai-based airline Emirates said on Wednesday that Iranian nationals were not allowed to enter or transit through the United Arab Emirates.
The website of another carrier, Flydubai, said Iranian nationals holding a UAE “Golden Visa” were exempt and permitted to enter and transit the country.
These restrictions come amid heightened tensions between Iran and Gulf states.
Iranian attack causes fire in Bahrain
Another fire broke out in a company’s facility in Bahrain following an Iranian missile attack, the Interior Ministry also announced on Wednesday.
Civil defense teams arrived at the scene to extinguish the flames, and the ministry said that the relevant authorities were taking additional necessary measures.
No immediate details were provided on the company, casualties, or the extent of damage.
UAE denies report that it is prepared to use force to open Strait of Hormuz
The UAE Foreign Affairs Ministry denied a Wall Street Journal report on Wednesday that it is prepared to use force to help the US reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the UAE, the strait “cannot be subject to disruption or coercion by any state, particularly in ways that threaten global economic stability and international security.”
While the UAE is ready to support international efforts to safeguard maritime security and ensure the uninterrupted flow of trade, any action would have to strictly adhere to international law, it continued.
The UAE also called any reporting suggesting a shift in its policy “misleading,” saying it “maintains a defensive posture focused on protecting its sovereignty, its people, and its infrastructure, and reserves its right to self-defense in response to ongoing unlawful and unprovoked attacks.”
Reuters contributed to this report.