US Missile Hits Kuwait Airport, Not Iran

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has made the surprising claim that the severe destruction at Terminal 1 of Kuwait International Airport was actually caused by a malfunctioning American Patriot missile. The US air defence system is accused of suffering a failure while attempting to repel a wave of missile attacks sent by Tehran targeting American military bases in the Gulf state. The fatal incident at the airport erupted amidst a retaliatory exchange of missile strikes on Wednesday between the US military and Iran. The deadly escalation was triggered by Washington’s attack on an oil tanker heading towards Kharg Island, along with what the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) termed a defensive strike on Qeshm Island. Iran’s military immediately issued a forceful denial of accusations that its forces had deliberately targeted the civilian aviation facility. An official IRGC spokesman announced the details of their internal investigation results publicly on Wednesday. “Our investigation and research into the attack on the Kuwait passenger terminal shows that the IRGC air force did not fire upon this target, and the destruction of the Kuwait airport passenger terminal was caused by an error in the American Patriot system, which landed on this terminal after failing to intercept Iranian missiles,” the IRGC spokesman said. Nonetheless, Tehran’s claim was promptly met with a rebuttal from local authorities. Previously, the moment Kuwait International Airport was hit by a drone was published by Kuwait’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). A video shows an unmanned Iranian aircraft crashing into the terminal at the airport on 3 June. “The first moments of the brutal Iranian aggression via drone, which targeted Terminal 1 (T1) of Kuwait International Airport on 3 June 2026,” the DGCA stated. “Causing loss of life, serious injuries to people, and severe material damage,” it added. The footage from airport CCTV shows several locations. The first angle shows the exterior side of the terminal when suddenly a drone falls through the left roof of the terminal, causing an explosion of fire and thick black smoke. Nearby, a row of aircraft can be seen lined up. The situation outside the airport was also still busy with pedestrians during the daytime. Another video then shows the car park near the terminal building at the time of the incident, with the explosion shocking the location. There is also footage from inside the terminal when the attack occurred, showing several people walking and then suddenly panicking as the building collapsed. The incident occurred after an exchange of fire between the US and Iran. The IRGC said it had launched attacks on US military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, including the US Fifth Fleet headquarters, following the American attack on Qeshm Island. The US War Department, the Pentagon, claimed that Iranian missiles fired at Kuwait failed to reach their targets and said two projectiles failed or broke up in transit. Kuwait stated its air defences responded to the missile and drone attacks during the incident. A Ministry of Health spokesman, Abdullah al-Sanad, said 25 ambulances were dispatched to Kuwait International Airport. Dozens of people suffered injuries from the blasts, including head trauma, brain haemorrhages, amputations and unspecified serious wounds. “They include civilians, people working at the airport and tourists,” he added, noting the attack damaged an unnamed diplomatic mission. In a separate statement, India’s Foreign Ministry said one of its citizens was killed at the airport and condemned the attack. The individual was identified as a traveller.