Kuwait’s air defenses intercepted 97 Iranian ballistic missiles and 283 drones on March 1 as Tehran retaliated for the killing of its Supreme Leader, according to the Ministry of Defense, while falling debris killed one person and injured 32 expatriates, all of them foreign residents, the Ministry of Health reported. Defense Ministry spokesperson Colonel Saud Al-Atwan said air defense forces succeeded in intercepting and destroying the projectiles launched toward Kuwaiti territory since the start of the Iranian aggression, with effective action limiting impacts to minor material damage from debris at various facilities. The incidents form part of a wider wave in which the International Institute for Strategic Studies recorded Kuwait’s total interceptions reaching 178 ballistic missiles and 384 drones by March 6.
The Ministry of Health directed all 32 injured individuals to the emergency department at Adan Hospital, with 15 transferred to Jaber Hospital for further care, five admitted to operating rooms at Adan and one death recorded later, its spokesperson Dr. Abdullah Al-Sanad disclosed. Al-Sanad affirmed ongoing full preparations in all hospitals, implementation of emergency plans and coordination with relevant authorities while urging the public to seek information only from official sources and remain calm. The health ministry’s statement wished speedy recovery to the injured and stressed that all casualties were expatriates in a nation where Public Authority for Civil Information data places the foreign population at approximately 3.3 million, or roughly two-thirds of total residents.
Adan Hospital limited outpatient clinic functions on the following Sunday to dispensing medications only, according to the health ministry, which postponed scheduled non-emergency surgeries with patients to be notified of rescheduled appointments through approved channels. Emergency surgeries continued without interruption while emergency departments and clinics operated round the clock to handle urgent cases, the ministry added. Primary healthcare centers maintained normal operations, with the ministry noting that around 30 percent function 24 hours daily to support patient needs during the heightened alert.
The health ministry’s tally identified 34 primary healthcare centers operating 24 hours a day across six governorates to bolster preparedness and service continuity. Six of the centers are located in the Capital Governorate, four in Hawally, six in Farwaniya, seven in Jahra, six in Ahmadi and five in Mubarak Al-Kabeer, the ministry’s breakdown showed. Such measures align with earlier field inspections conducted by the ministry to verify technical, administrative and logistical readiness across hospitals and specialized centers, as reported in subsequent Kuwait Times coverage of ongoing vigilance.
Kuwait’s response fits a regional pattern in which Gulf Cooperation Council states have collectively intercepted thousands of Iranian drones and missiles since the conflict intensified, a March 21 assessment from the Institute for the Study of War documented. Saudi Arabia alone downed 68 drones in one 24-hour period while the United Arab Emirates intercepted three ballistic missiles and eight drones, that assessment found. Central Command statements confirmed U.S. forces also intercepted Iranian missiles aimed at bases in Kuwait, with no American personnel harmed.
The defense ministry emphasized that all interceptions followed established rules of engagement, resulting in the limited casualty count despite the scale of the incoming barrage. Health authorities continue to monitor the situation at affected hospitals while maintaining full staffing for emergency services, according to the ministry’s update. The incidents have underscored the vulnerability of infrastructure to debris even from successfully neutralized threats.
