U.S. Approves $1.98 Billion Anti-Drone Sale to Kuwait After Iranian Attacks

The United States Department of State approved a $1.98 billion sale of counter-unmanned aerial systems to Kuwait on June 6, 2026. The deal, with Anduril Industries as the principal contractor, provides electronic and kinetic defeat platforms to bolster the security of a major non-NATO ally following a series of Iranian aggressions.

On June 3, 13 ballistic missiles and 17 drones struck Kuwait International Airport's Terminal 1, killing one Indian national and wounding over 60 people. While the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) initially claimed the attack targeted U.S. assets, it later denied responsibility for the airport damage, asserting that a U.S. Patriot missile malfunctioned. U.S. Central Command dismissed these claims, citing surveillance video of the deliberate Iranian strike.

Hostilities escalated on June 6 when the IRGC launched seven ballistic missiles at U.S. air bases in Kuwait, including Ali Al Salem, and the U.S. Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain. Iran cited these actions as retaliation for U.S. strikes on telecommunications masts and radar sites on Qeshm Island and in Sirik. U.S. Central Command reported intercepting six of the missiles and denied any damage to its Bahraini headquarters.

Diplomatically, Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah in Washington to reaffirm security commitments. Meanwhile, indirect ceasefire negotiations between the U.S. and Iran remain stalled, as Tehran demands a cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon before advancing talks.