Iran launched one of its most damaging drone and missile attacks since the April ceasefire, hitting Kuwait and Bahrain and dealing extensive damage to a Kuwaiti airport, triggering a round of retaliatory U.S. strikes.

U.S. Central Command said Iran fired two missiles at Kuwait and three at Bahrain, claiming all five broke apart or were intercepted. Several drones breached Kuwaiti air defenses. However, Kuwait’s foreign ministry said the attack damaged diplomatic missions and other infrastructure.

The most extensive damage was dealt to Kuwait International Airport — the country’s foreign ministry said one person was killed and several others injured from the drone attacks, and possibly also from falling missile debris. The country’s health ministry later clarified that the number of injured had shot up to 63, many of which were critical, with seven “major emergency” surgeries performed.

The United States responded with strikes on Qeshm Island, hitting a ground control station. Despite the successful hits against Kuwait, CENTCOM said an additional wave of drones failed to hit their intended U.S. targets, after the U.S. shot down several. Three drones fired at civilian mariners were also intercepted.

A video posted on social media from someone at Kuwait’s active airport showed scenes reminiscent of the first days of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, with fire, smoke, and debris engulfing the terminal. A gaping hole where the drone made contact could be seen in the ceiling as several people navigated the rubble.

The attacks caused the airport to close for several hours, but it was reopened early in the afternoon, “following the completion of the technical teams and competent authorities’ assessment of the damages and taking the necessary measures to ensure the safety of operational processes”, the Kuna news agency reported.

Kuwait’s foreign ministry said it reserves its “full and inherent right” to take whatever measures it deems necessary to respond to the “sinful and repeated Iranian aggressions.”

The attacks drew condemnations across the board, including from Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar.

Anwar Gargash, adviser to the UAE president, used the opportunity to call for a united Gulf response to Iran’s actions.

“No Gulf state should be left to face these attacks alone,” he wrote in a post on X.

“The security of the Gulf Cooperation Council states is interconnected, their interests are shared, and their destiny is one. This aggression does not target one country in particular, but rather targets us all,” Gargash added.

Iran, meanwhile, justified its attacks as a proper response given Kuwait and Bahrain’s hosting of U.S. troops.

“Any country that permits aggressor parties to use its territorial, maritime, or airspace, or the facilities and bases located within its territory to carry out or support military aggression against Iran is in clear violation of the fundamental rules of international law and the principle of good neighborliness,” Iran’s foreign ministry said, according to the Fars News Agency.

“It is self-evident that the responsibility for the consequences of this situation lies with the American-Zionist aggressors and the parties that assist them in their aggressive acts against Iran by providing their territory and resources,” it added.

In the aftermath of the attack, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke with his counterparts in France, Turkey, Qatar, Egypt, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia, according to the country’s foreign ministry.

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Another video filmed by a motorist in Kuwait showed the chaotic scenes of the attack itself, complete with surface-to-air missile interceptions of drones or missiles fired by Iran. At least one car crashed during the attack, presumably due to the distraction. Kuwait’s Ministry of the Interior arrested the man who took the video, saying his posting constituted a violation of national security and that the filming endangered other motorists, citing the car crash in the video.

The Iranian attacks mark a sharp escalation from previous responses, and indicate a new normal of Tehran responding to perceived aggressive moves from the U.S. Negotiations have broken down over the past week over disagreements about whether the Israeli war with Hezbollah is covered by the ceasefire. The attack against Kuwait was the second time it had been hit in 72 hours, while the attack against Bahrain was the first since the April ceasefire.