Kuwait says fresh Iranian attack on power, water plant sparks fire

KUWAIT CITY/MANAMA - A power generation and water desalination plant in Kuwait came under attack for the second time in two days on Sunday, sparking a fire and disrupting electricity generation, Kuwaiti authorities said, blaming the strike on Iran.

In a statement posted on social media platform X, Kuwait's Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy said the attack triggered a fire in parts of the facility, forcing authorities to activate emergency response plans.

Fire teams were dispatched to the site to extinguish the blaze, while technical and emergency crews worked to restore the affected power units and stabilize the national grid, the ministry said.

It also urged citizens to reduce electricity consumption during the period to help ease pressure on the power system.

Earlier on Sunday, the General Staff of the Kuwaiti Army said in a statement on X that explosions heard in parts of the country were caused by air defense systems intercepting hostile targets.

The latest attack followed similar strikes on Kuwait's power and water facilities on Saturday, which authorities also blamed on Iran.

Meanwhile, the General Command of the Bahrain Defense Force (BDF) said Sunday its air defenses intercepted a number of Iranian aerial attacks targeting the country.

In a statement, the BDF said Iran continued its "systematic hostile approach" through attacks targeting civilians in the kingdom, calling them a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.

The United States has carried out several waves of strikes on Iran in recent days, saying that the operations were aimed at "degrading Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping" in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian forces have responded by targeting US bases and facilities in regional countries, including Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, with missiles and drones.