Iran Attacks US Airbase as Kuwait Activates Air Defences

Kuwait activated its air defence system today, Thursday, 28 May 2026, in response to what it described as “hostile missile and drone threats,” according to a post on the military’s X account. CNBC reported on Thursday that the military did not specify the origin of the attack but added that the sound of explosions was from air defence systems intercepting incoming threats. This development comes as tensions in the Middle East escalated following a new US strike on Iran overnight. A US official told MSNBC on Wednesday that its forces had carried out a new attack targeting military sites believed to pose a threat to US troops and commercial maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. In a statement published on the state-run Tasnim News Agency, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had attacked a US airbase after US strikes occurred outside Bandar Abbas airport. “If it happens again, our response will be tougher,” said the IRGC. On Wednesday, the US Department of the Treasury announced new sanctions against Iran’s Strait of Hormuz Authority, a government body regulating transit through the Strait of Hormuz by charging ships. The Treasury stated that anyone cooperating with the authority could be supporting and receiving services from the IRGC, ultimately benefiting from this “extortion effort” and thus facing sanctions risk. Meanwhile, oil prices rose over 3%, with international Brent crude and US WTI futures increasing. The escalation follows US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s statement on Wednesday that the US would give talks with Iran “a full chance to succeed.” Speaking at a Cabinet meeting with President Donald Trump, Rubio said negotiations had made some progress, but Trump prefers diplomacy with other options available if they fail, likely referring to renewed military strikes.