In aftermath of Iran attack, Rubio hosts Kuwait FM: What to know

WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed US support for Kuwait during talks with Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al Sabah on Thursday, just 24 hours after an Iranian drone strike on Kuwait International Airport killed one person and injured more than 60 others.

What happened: Sheikh Jarrah was in Washington on Thursday and met with Rubio at the State Department. During their meeting, Rubio “reiterated the commitment of the United States to Kuwait's security,” according to a statement from State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott. He also “condemned Iran's outrageous and unacceptable attacks targeting Kuwait International Airport and other parts of the country.”

In a post on X, Rubio said that the meeting served to “affirm the United States’ commitment to the security of Kuwait and all our partners in the Gulf.” He added, “The United States and Kuwait are united in our vision of regional stability and an open and free Strait of Hormuz.” The Strait of Hormuz has seen a steep decline in traffic since the war between Iran and the United States broke out in late February. 

A statement from the Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry said that the two discussed “strengthening the frameworks of bilateral cooperation and joint coordination across various fields, particularly political, defense, investment, and cultural domains.”

Know more: The meeting came a day after a strike on Kuwait International Airport killed an Indian national and wounded 63 others. In response, Kuwait's Foreign Ministry summoned Iran's charge d'affaires and expelled two Iranian diplomats, ordering them to leave the country within 24 hours.

Later on Wednesday, a spokesperson for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) denied that Iran had targeted the airport. “Our investigations regarding the impact on Kuwait’s passenger terminal show that the IRGC Aerospace Force did not fire at this target,” IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebbi said. 

Mohebbi said that the incident was instead caused by “an American Patriot system error after it failed to intercept Iranian missiles.”

The IRGC had earlier said it attacked a US base in Kuwait and the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain in retaliation for a US overnight strike on a communications tower on Iran's Qeshm Island.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) denied the IRGC’s claim, calling it “totally false.” 

“Iran struck the civilian airport with drones in a deliberate, calculated and unjustified attack,” CENTCOM’s statement read. 

Background: Kuwait has been among the Gulf states most frequently targeted by Iran during the war, particularly in recent weeks. 

According to a tally of attacks compiled by Asharq Al-Awsat, the United Arab Emirates recorded the highest number of attacks with 2,846, followed by Saudi Arabia with 1,234. Kuwait was third with 1,194 attacks. Over 200 of these attacks have come after the ceasefire between the United States and Israel was announced in early April. 

Kuwait hosts the largest US military presence in the Gulf, with an estimated 13,500 personnel stationed at facilities including Ali Al Salem Air Base and Camps Arifjan and Buehring.