Iran strike damages Kuwait power, desalination plant: What to know

An Iranian aerial attack damaged a power generation and water desalination plant in Kuwait on Friday, raising concerns over disruptions to electricity and water supplies in the water-stressed Gulf country amid an intensifying exchange of strikes between Iran and the United States.

What happened: The Kuwaiti Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy said in a statement that one of its power generation and water desalination plants was attacked by the “Iranian aggression,” sparking a fire and causing damage at some of the plant's facilities and several electricity generation units.

The ministry did not specify the location of the plant. It noted that firefighting teams had managed to bring the blaze under control, adding that technical teams were working to restore the affected units and monitoring the stability of the electricity grid.

It further called on residents to rationalize consumption of electricity and water “during this exceptional period.”

Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the Iranian attack, which it said violated the country’s sovereignty and its security.

“The continuation of this aggressive approach constitutes an extremely dangerous escalation that threatens regional security and stability, a brazen challenge to international legitimacy, and undermines efforts aimed at de-escalation and reaching peaceful solutions,” the ministry said in a statement released on Friday.

It further stressed Kuwait’s “inherent right” to take the necessary measures to protect its sovereignty, security and stability, in line with international law.

Why it matters: Some 90% of Kuwait’s drinking water demand comes from desalination plants. The country operates eight major coastal water desalination plants with a combined operational capacity of more than 2.2 million cubic meters per day, according to data released this year by the World Population Review. Kuwait ranks as the world's most water-stressed country, according to the same data.

The oil-rich Gulf state has faced renewed Iranian drone and missile attacks since last week, after Iran, in response to US strikes on its territory, resumed attacks on neighboring Gulf countries hosting a US military presence.

On Friday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed that it had hit a US military base in Kuwait, striking a missile defense, detection, and tracking radar, several weapons depots, and two High Mobility Artillery Rocket System launchers and missiles.

The latest strike comes after months of escalating tensions between Kuwait and Iran. Since the joint US-Israeli attack on Iran launched Feb. 28, Kuwait has repeatedly summoned Iranian diplomats to protest missile and drone attacks on its territory, including a deadly June 2 drone strike on Kuwait International Airport that killed one person and injured more than 60 others. In May, Kuwait expelled two members of Iran's diplomatic mission.

Kuwaiti authorities have also intensified a crackdown on alleged Iran-linked networks, arresting dozens of people with suspected ties to Tehran or Lebanese Hezbollah, Iran's main regional proxy. Last week, a Kuwaiti citizen was sentenced to 10 years in prison for allegedly joining Hezbollah and meeting with IRGC members.

Know more: On Friday, the IRGC said it had launched a fresh barrage of drones and missiles at US military facilities across the Gulf — in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar — and at Jordan. Late on Thursday, US Central Command, CENTCOM, said that it had completed a new wave of strikes against dozens of Iranian targets, including coastal surveillance and air defense sites, military logistics infrastructure, and maritime capabilities.

In Qatar, authorities said a child had been injured by shrapnel early Friday after air defenses intercepted an Iranian missile.

Meanwhile, Jordan and Bahrain separately reported a number of Iranian missiles and drones fired toward their territory early Friday, saying they had been intercepted.

Iran also claimed that it had struck the al-Tanf military base near Syria’s border with Jordan and Iraq, which formerly housed US forces, a claim later dismissed by a Syrian military source speaking to Agence France-Press.