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Middle East escalation: Qatar, Kuwait targeted in broader Iranian retaliation after US-Israel strikes

Qatar and Kuwait have come under Iranian missile and drone attacks in retaliation for recent U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, with civilian infrastructure and military assets targeted.

Updated 3 months ago · Published on 02 Mar 2026 6:26PM

Middle East escalation: Qatar, Kuwait targeted in broader Iranian retaliation after US-Israel strikes
Russian President Vladimir Putin condemns the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a “cynical” murder - March 2, 2026

QATAR has intercepted Iranian‑launched attacks aimed at its civilian infrastructure, including the international airport, its foreign ministry spokesperson told CNN on Monday, as hostilities widen across the Gulf following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.

Majed Al Ansari added that Qatar was not engaging with Iran diplomatically at this time.

Reuters cited that in Kuwait, several U.S. military aircraft crashed in the early hours of Monday as Tehran continued its campaign of retaliatory strikes against neighbouring Gulf states, Kuwait’s Ministry of Defence said, with all crew evacuated and reported in stable condition.

Smoke was also seen near the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait City, and the embassy has warned of ongoing missile and drone threats to U.S. citizens.

Iran’s state media quoted the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as claiming it had hit a U.S. plane that subsequently crashed in Kuwait.

A video verified by Reuters taken in the Al Jahra area showed a military aircraft descending from the sky with a parachute visible.

The Kuwaiti statement did not disclose how many aircraft were involved.

Falling debris from intercepted strikes injured two workers slightly at Kuwait’s Mina Al‑Ahmadi refinery, the Kuwait National Petroleum Company said.

The U.S. Embassy in Kuwait issued safety advice urging citizens to shelter in place, stay on the lowest floor of residences away from windows, and avoid coming to the embassy, citing a continuing threat of missile and drone attacks.

Kuwaiti air defences intercepted the majority of hostile drones near the Rumaithiya and Salwa neighbourhoods, the state news agency reported, citing the director‑general of the civil defence.

Loud explosions were reported on Monday morning in Dubai and Doha, according to Reuters witnesses, with sirens and blasts also heard earlier in Kuwait.

Tehran has declared it will target U.S. bases in the region after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Saturday and has struck various civilian and commercial areas across Gulf cities, affecting major aviation and trade hubs.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin said on Monday that Russia is in constant contact with Iranian leadership regarding what it termed “outright aggression” against Tehran and expressed profound disappointment at how events have unfolded.

Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a “cynical” murder, and the Russian Foreign Ministry has accused the U.S. and Israel of plunging the Middle East “into an abyss of uncontrolled escalation.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia was analysing the situation after Washington chose to launch strikes on Iran despite what Moscow saw as promising negotiations mediated by Oman.

Peskov said President Putin was due to make an Iran‑related international phone call later on Monday but did not specify the recipient.

He added that Russia continues its dialogue both with Iranian leaders and with those of countries affected by the conflict, including the Gulf states. - March 2, 2026

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