The claimed attack marked another escalation in Iran’s campaign against sites linked to the United States and its regional partners. The IRGC said the Mina Abdullah operation targeted a military logistics and support centre, rather than the refinery itself. Kuwait had not immediately confirmed damage at the location or reported casualties.
Kuwait’s armed forces said air defence units had confronted incoming drones under established operational procedures. Explosions heard in parts of the country were linked to interception activity, as authorities urged residents to rely on official information and avoid circulating unverified footage.
The competing accounts could not be independently reconciled. Tehran has repeatedly described its strikes as attacks on American military infrastructure, while several Gulf governments have reported drones and missiles approaching civilian areas, energy installations and transport facilities.
Mina Abdullah, south of Kuwait City, is one of the country’s most important industrial zones. It contains a major refinery operated by Kuwait National Petroleum Company, as well as storage, processing and logistics infrastructure connected to the wider petroleum sector. The refinery has a stated capacity of about 454,000 barrels per day.
The IRGC’s announcement came as Iran warned that continued US military operations would delay any reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran has sought to link freedom of navigation through the waterway to an end to American attacks, raising the risk of a sustained disruption to global energy supplies.
About a fifth of internationally traded petroleum passes through Hormuz under normal conditions. Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates depend heavily on the route for crude oil, refined products or liquefied natural gas exports, although some producers have access to alternative pipelines.
Washington has intensified strikes against Iranian missile sites, drone facilities, coastal defences and naval assets following attacks on commercial vessels and US-linked installations. Iran has answered with missiles and drones directed at American bases and support networks across Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan and other parts of the region.
Kuwait hosts thousands of US military personnel and serves as an important logistics centre for American operations in West Asia. The presence includes troops at Camp Arifjan, Ali Al Salem Air Base and other facilities supporting regional deployments.
The country has attempted to balance its defence partnership with Washington against its stated preference for avoiding direct involvement in the conflict. Kuwaiti officials have condemned violations of national sovereignty and maintained that the country’s territory should not become a battlefield between outside powers.
Wednesday’s episode also revived concerns about the vulnerability of Kuwait’s oil sector. Mina Abdullah and Mina Al-Ahmadi refineries were struck during earlier rounds of drone attacks this year, causing fires, material damage and reductions in processing rates. No deaths were reported in several of those incidents, but repeated disruptions placed additional pressure on regional refining capacity.
Kuwait’s refining system has strategic significance beyond its domestic fuel needs. Mina Abdullah and Mina Al-Ahmadi together can process about 800,000 barrels a day, while the Al-Zour complex has a capacity of 615,000 barrels per day. The network supplies transport fuels and low-sulphur products to markets across Asia and Europe.
Oil markets have responded sharply to renewed fighting around Hormuz. Traders are weighing the risk of physical supply losses against the availability of strategic reserves, spare production capacity and alternative export routes. Insurance costs for vessels operating in Gulf waters have also increased, while some shipping companies have altered schedules or suspended voyages.
Drone warfare has become a central feature of the confrontation because relatively low-cost aircraft can be launched in large numbers, fly at low altitude and approach targets from different directions. Even when intercepted, falling wreckage can damage buildings, industrial equipment and civilian infrastructure.
