The General Staff of the Kuwaiti Army announced Tuesday that air defense systems were intercepting hostile missile and drone attacks amid ongoing regional tensions. Any explosion sounds heard by the public resulted from these interceptions, the military body stated, while it urged citizens and residents to follow all security and safety instructions from the relevant authorities. The announcement came as separate updates detailed impacts on critical infrastructure from the strikes.
The Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy reported that several power generation and water desalination facilities came under attack for the fourth consecutive day on Monday. Emergency teams in coordination with the Kuwait Fire Force and security authorities responded immediately to bring resulting fires under control at the sites, according to the ministry. Damage assessments have been completed with repair plans in preparation, and several generation units were taken offline temporarily as a precaution to protect equipment and ensure network stability, the ministry added while noting that further updates would come through official channels.
In its weekly meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, the Cabinet strongly condemned the attacks that targeted electricity generation and water desalination plants along with oil sector facilities and other vital installations. The Cabinet described the strikes, which caused damage to critical infrastructure, civilian facilities and residential buildings, as a blatant violation of Kuwait’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and security as well as a serious breach of international law, international humanitarian law, the UN Charter and UN Security Council Resolution 2817 (2026). It held Iran fully responsible legally and morally for the continued attacks and their consequences while affirming Kuwait’s right to take all necessary measures to defend its sovereignty in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter.
The Cabinet also condemned Iranian attacks on Bahrain, Qatar and Jordan, according to the meeting readout, while reaffirming solidarity with the three countries and support for measures to protect their security. It rejected threats issued by the Houthi militia against Saudi Arabia and maritime navigation, reiterating that Saudi security forms an integral part of Kuwait’s and the GCC’s security. Defense Minister Sheikh Abdullah Ali Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah briefed the Cabinet on military developments and armed forces readiness, and Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah provided updates on diplomatic efforts.
The Cabinet praised the public response to the national electricity and water conservation campaign known as Waffir. Cooperation from citizens, residents, government institutions, the private sector and media reflected a strong sense of national responsibility, the Cabinet stated, and it urged that rational use of resources become a permanent national practice to ensure sustainable essential services. The meeting included a briefing on the Prime Minister’s visit to injured victims at Al-Adan Hospital, where he was accompanied by Health Minister Dr. Ahmad Al-Awadhi and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to full medical care until recovery.
Kuwait depends on desalination for approximately 90 percent of its drinking water, with limited conventional freshwater resources available, according to multiple regional assessments including those cited by Al Jazeera English. The GCC as a whole accounts for a substantial share of global desalination capacity through more than 400 plants, data compiled by the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies shows. These facilities have grown increasingly vital as demand has risen well beyond local groundwater supplies.
Kuwait’s electricity generation capacity reached about 20 gigawatts in 2021 and has continued expanding toward a projected 32 gigawatts by 2035, figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration and Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research indicate. Combined-cycle plants using natural gas are expected to form the majority of new capacity under long-term planning. The latest strikes follow a pattern of incidents over recent months that have included other oil, gas and infrastructure targets, as noted in regional reporting.
