Kuwait Reopens Airspace After Iranian Strikes Hit Airport Radar

Kuwait reopened its airspace and resumed normal flight operations at Kuwait International Airport on June 12, 2026, following a series of retaliatory strikes by Iran. The Government of Kuwait temporarily closed its airspace as a precautionary measure after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targeted 18 U.S. military sites, including the Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait and the U.S. Navy Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain. These actions followed U.S. airstrikes against Iranian targets in Qeshm Island and Sirik County on June 10.

While Iran claimed to target only military facilities, the attacks caused significant material damage to radar installations and air traffic management systems at Kuwait International Airport, resulting in several injuries. The Kuwaiti military intercepted 24 hostile drones over a 48-hour period ending June 11. This escalation follows a previous Iranian drone strike on the same airport on June 3 that killed one Indian national and injured 63 people.

Kuwait's Directorate General of Civil Aviation filed a third formal protest with the International Civil Aviation Organization, characterizing the targeting of civil infrastructure as a grave violation of international law. In response to the aggression and Iranian claims that Kuwait facilitated U.S. attacks, Kuwait denied the accusations and expelled two Iranian embassy staff.