Kuwait hit for a second straight day in Iranian attack; Kuwait International Airport temporarily suspended

On Saturday, July 18, 2026, Kuwait said that for a second straight day one of its power and water desalination plants was hit by Iranian missile and drone attacks, forcing several power generation units offline. Sirens sounded repeatedly across Kuwait from around dawn on Saturday, in one of the heaviest barrages the country has faced since the conflict began.

Following the attacks, takeoffs and landings at Kuwait International Airport were temporarily suspended and the country's airspace was closed; Kuwait Airways said it had rescheduled most of its flights. Kuwait draws roughly 90 percent of its drinking water from desalination, and a similar facility had already been damaged on Friday, July 17.

The escalation across the Persian Gulf, home to US military bases, raises energy security risk and fears of further disruption to tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a channel that indirectly pressures Iran's currency and gold markets.