Iranian drones bombed a major oil facility in Kuwait at the Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery on Friday, sparking fires at the site, state-run Kuwait Petroleum Corporation said, adding that no casualties were reported.The company said firefighters were working to control the fires following the attack, which represents another escalation in strikes on critical energy infrastructure in the Gulf region.Mina Al-Ahmadi, one of Kuwait’s three major refineries, has been targeted several times during the ongoing conflict. Refineries play a crucial role in oil production in Kuwait, as disruptions can lead to the closure of oil wells due to a lack of processing capacity.
Restarting refining operations is a time-consuming process, meaning production may still be affected even after the fires are contained.
The strike comes as Iran continues to launch attacks across the region amid ongoing hostilities with the United States and Israel. Early Friday, Iran targeted multiple sites in the Gulf, with both Kuwait and Bahrain reporting incoming attacks, while Israel issued alerts about missile threats.
Meanwhile, the United States and Israel carried out air strikes inside Iran, including areas around Tehran and Isfahan, although details of the targets were not immediately clear.Despite claims by Washington and Tel Aviv that Iran’s military capabilities have deteriorated significantly, Tehran has maintained sustained pressure on its regional rivals.Attacks on energy infrastructure and Iran’s tightening control over the Strait of Hormuz have disrupted global oil flows, pushing prices up sharply.Brent crude prices rose to around $109, registering a more than 50 percent increase since late February, when the conflict escalated.The Strait of Hormuz remains a critical checkpoint through which about a fifth of the world’s oil and gas supplies pass during peacetime, making any disruption a major concern for global markets.The UN Security Council is expected to vote on a proposal addressing security in the Strait of Hormuz, amid growing concerns about the safe passage of commercial ships.The proposal, submitted by Bahrain, initially included provisions allowing countries to “use all necessary means” to secure the waterway. However, permanent members, including Russia, China and France, have expressed opposition to allowing the use of force.Emmanuel Macron said a military solution would be impractical, warning that such an operation “would take an infinite amount of time and expose anyone passing through the strait to coastal threats.”He added that reopening the road “can only be done in coordination with Iran,” referring to diplomacy after a possible ceasefire.The conflict, now entering its fifth week, has led to increasing casualties in multiple regions.More than 1,900 people have been reported killed in Iran, while 19 deaths have been confirmed in Israel. Additional deaths were reported in the Gulf states, the occupied West Bank, and among American forces.In Lebanon, more than 1,300 people were killed and more than a million displaced amid Israeli ground operations against Hezbollah, with reports of more casualties among Israeli forces.The attack on the Kuwait refinery highlights the breadth of the conflict, with energy infrastructure increasingly becoming a target in a war that continues to expand across the Middle East.