Iran strikes damage Kuwait's desalination and power plants; Kuwait urges power rationing

In the early hours of Tuesday, 21 July 2026, during the tenth consecutive night of US strikes on Iran, the Revolutionary Guard targeted Kuwaiti infrastructure in retaliation against Washington's regional allies. According to international news outlets, a desalination complex and several Kuwaiti power plants caught fire and suffered serious damage, with a number of electricity generation units knocked out. Reports also point to damage at a Kuwaiti oil refinery.

Kuwait's energy ministry urged residents to cut and ration electricity use during peak hours, a sensitive matter given that close to 90 percent of Kuwait's drinking water comes from these desalination facilities. The strikes are part of an escalation in the Persian Gulf that has brought tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz nearly to a halt and lifted the risk premium in global oil markets; Brent traded in the 89 to 90 dollar per barrel range on Tuesday.