Iranian drones struck Kuwait’s key oil facility at Mina al-Ahmadi refinery on Friday, triggering fires at the site, Kuwait’s state-run Kuwait Petroleum Corporation said, adding that no injuries were reported.The company said firefighters were working to control the blazes following the attack, which marks another escalation in strikes on critical energy infrastructure in the Gulf region.Mina al-Ahmadi, one of Kuwait’s three major refineries, has been targeted multiple times during the ongoing conflict. Refineries play a crucial role in Kuwait’s oil production, as disruptions can force oil wells to shut due to lack of processing capacity. Restarting refinery operations is a time-consuming process, meaning production could remain affected even after fires are contained. The strike comes as Iran continues to launch attacks across the region amid ongoing hostilities with the United States and Israel. Early Friday, Iran targeted multiple locations in the Gulf, with both Kuwait and Bahrain reporting incoming attacks, while Israel issued alerts over missile threats. At the same time, the United States and Israel carried out airstrikes inside Iran, including in areas around Tehran and Isfahan, though details of the targets were not immediately clear.Despite claims by Washington and Tel Aviv that Iran’s military capabilities have been significantly degraded, Tehran has maintained sustained pressure on regional adversaries.Attacks on energy infrastructure and Iran’s tightening control over the Strait of Hormuz have disrupted global oil flows, pushing prices sharply higher.Brent crude prices rose to around $109, marking an increase of over 50 per cent since late February, when the conflict escalated.The Strait of Hormuz remains a critical chokepoint through which about a fifth of the world’s oil and gas supplies transit during peacetime, making any disruption a major concern for global markets.The United Nations Security Council is expected to vote on a proposal addressing security in the Strait of Hormuz, amid growing concerns over safe passage for commercial vessels.The proposal, put forward by Bahrain, initially included provisions allowing countries to “use all necessary means” to secure the waterway. However, permanent members including Russia, China and France have expressed opposition to authorising the use of force.Emmanuel Macron said a military solution would be impractical, warning that such an operation “would take an infinite amount of time and would expose anyone passing through the strait to coastal threats.”He added that reopening the route “can only be done in coordination with Iran,” pointing towards diplomacy following a potential ceasefire.The conflict, now entering its fifth week, has led to mounting casualties across multiple regions.More than 1,900 people have been reported killed in Iran, while 19 deaths have been confirmed in Israel. Additional fatalities have been reported in Gulf states, the occupied West Bank and among US forces.In Lebanon, over 1,300 people have been killed and more than one million displaced amid Israel’s ground operations against Hezbollah, with further casualties reported among Israeli troops.The attack on Kuwait’s refinery underscores the widening scope of the conflict, with energy infrastructure increasingly becoming a target in a war that continues to expand across the Middle East.
