Democracy Dies with Dictatorship
NY Times
Jun 3, 2026
Iran War Live Updates: Drone Barrage at Kuwait Airport Kills One and Injures Dozens
Video footage verified by The New York Times showed fire inside Kuwait’s international airport. The attack was part of one of the biggest assaults on a Gulf nation since the U.S.-Iran cease-fire was announced in April.
By Leo SandsVivian Nereim and Yan Zhuang
Here’s the latest
A barrage of Iranian missiles and drones targeted Kuwait early Wednesday, killing a civilian and injuring dozens of others at the country’s international airport, the Kuwaiti authorities said, in one of the biggest strikes on a Gulf nation since the U.S.-Iran cease-fire took effect in April.
The attack, which included a drone strike on an airport passenger terminal, appeared to show that Iran retained the ability to inflict damage in the region as talks with the United States on a long-term peace agreement drag on without resolution. The Iranian authorities did not immediately comment on the attack, but Gulf countries have been targeted in thousands of Iranian strikes since the war began.
The fresh hostilities came as President Trump said in an interview with The New York Post published Wednesday that Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, was involved in the negotiations to end the war and that he hoped to meet with him. It was far from clear whether the hard-line ayatollah — who is believed to have been injured in the U.S.-Israeli strikes that began the war and has not been seen in public for months — would be willing to meet with Mr. Trump.
Even as the two sides negotiate over a framework for a longer-term truce and maintain that the current cease-fire between them remains in effect, the United States and Iran have launched a series of attacks in recent days. The U.S. military has described its actions as self-defense, while Iran has said it is retaliating against American attacks.
The Kuwaiti authorities said on Wednesday that the attack on Kuwait International Airport’s Terminal 1 had killed an Indian resident of the country and wounded at least 63 people. The attack on the country included 13 ballistic missiles and 17 drones, the Kuwaiti authorities added in a statement.
Satellite imagery provided by Airbus DS from Wednesday morning showed damage to the roof of a terminal. That corresponded with the damage seen in video footage verified by The New York Times showing flames and smoke inside the terminal, with people rushing away from the large hole in the roof.
Kuwait’s Civil Aviation Authority said it had suspended flights and was diverting them to alternate airports. By early afternoon local time, some flights had resumed from a different terminal.
U.S. Central Command said in a statement that Iran had launched missiles and drones at Kuwait and Bahrain, as well as civilian mariners in nearby waters. Several projectiles failed in flight, it said, and others were intercepted.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said it had targeted the headquarters of the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain and an American vessel it identified as the Panaya. U.S. Central Command said Iran’s Wednesday attacks targeting U.S. bases did not hit their targets.
Here’s what else we’re covering:
U.S.-Israel relations: Mr. Trump told The Post that he had used expletives in a recent phone conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel but said they have a broadly positive relationship. “We’ve worked very well together,” he said, amid reports of splits between the two leaders.
Israel-Lebanon talks: Israeli and Lebanese officials met in Washington on Tuesday for the first day of a new round of U.S.-mediated talks on ending the war in Lebanon, a conflict closely tied to the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran. Another round of talks is scheduled for Wednesday.
Lebanon fighting: The Israeli military issued new evacuation warnings for parts of southern Lebanon, where it has continued to target the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah. At least six people were killed in Israeli strikes near the southern city of Tyre, according to Lebanon’s state-run news agency.
Market reaction: Oil prices rose on Wednesday as military strikes in the Middle East cast doubt on efforts by Iran and the United States to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil and gas shipping route.
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June 3, 2026, 11:20 a.m. ET18 minutes ago
Reporting from Washington
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Congress that the U.S. military operation against Iran “has concluded,” reiterating the message the Trump administration has been trying to push on the war, despite continuing attacks by both sides. Rubio said any American strikes on Iran now were “completely defensive in nature” and intended to protect civilian cargo ships trying to cross the Strait of Hormuz.
June 3, 2026, 11:10 a.m. ET27 minutes ago
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel said Wednesday that he had had “tactical disagreements” with President Trump, after the president confirmed that he had used expletives in a Monday call with Netanyahu. Trump had described the tense call, owing to his frustration over Israel’s fighting in Lebanon, in an interview with the New York Post earlier on Wednesday. Hours later, Mr. Netanyahu declined to comment on the content of the conversation in an interview with CNBC, but said the two leaders had a habit of resolving their differences. “We can disagree in the morning, and by the afternoon, we have common action,” he said.
June 3, 2026, 11:08 a.m. ET30 minutes ago
Trump confirms he called Netanyahu ‘crazy’ in a phone call.
President Trump offered a glimpse into his private conversations with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, suggesting that the two men had a broadly positive rapport but that recent disagreements had prompted the president to call the Israeli leader “crazy.”
“We’ve worked very well together,” Mr. Trump said in an interview with The New York Post, summarizing their working relationship as close and constructive.
But Mr. Trump confirmed that he had repeatedly used expletives to convey his frustration on a recent phone call with Mr. Netanyahu over Israel’s military campaign in Lebanon when asked about an Axios report on the conversation between the two men.
“I was a little bit perturbed at his constantly fighting with Lebanon,” he said, referring to the war between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militia in Lebanon.
Mr. Trump made his comments after reports of a growing split between the two leaders as the war with Iran, which began with joint U.S.-Israeli attacks, drags on. The Trump administration has excluded Israel from negotiations to end the conflict and the president has publicly urged Israel to stop fighting with Hezbollah.
In an interview with CNBC on Wednesday published after Mr. Trump made his remarks, Mr. Netanyahu acknowledged what he described as “tactical disagreements” with the president but declined to share details. “We always find a way to work them out,” he said.
In the New York Post interview, Mr. Trump also said that he hoped to eventually meet with Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei. “We probably will meet at some point,” he said.
The Iranian authorities did not comment, and it was unclear whether Ayatollah Khamenei, who is believed to have been injured in the U.S.-Israeli strikes that began the war, would be willing to meet with Mr. Trump.
The president said that he did not know the extent of the injuries sustained by the supreme leader, who has not been seen in public for months. “If you believe the stories, he’s missing a lot of different parts,” said Mr. Trump.
Speaking more broadly about the state of negotiations to end the war, Mr. Trump suggested that he was not in a rush to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route for oil and gas that has remained largely choked by Iran since the beginning of the war.
When asked whether the strait would still be blocked by Labor Day on Sept. 7., Mr. Trump replied: “I don’t know.”
Jonathan Wolfe contributed reporting.
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June 3, 2026, 11:01 a.m. ET37 minutes ago
Reporting from Washington
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Congress that the Israel-Lebanon conflict was “complex” and rooted in a decades-old history going back to the last century, but that the United States remained invested in diplomacy to try to bring about a settlement. He said that the Israeli military was continuing to strike in southern Lebanon when it saw activity by Hezbollah, and was increasingly taking Lebanese territory to ensure the Iranian-backed militia has fewer missile launch sites in the region.
June 3, 2026, 10:58 a.m. ET39 minutes ago
The attack on Kuwait’s airport further upends travel in the Middle East.
Iranian forces targeted Kuwait’s primary airport with a wave of attack drones that killed one person and injured more than 60 others, including passengers and airport workers, Kuwaiti authorities said on Wednesday.
The attack also closed a terminal that had only just reopened, the latest example of the war in the Middle East upending aviation.
Kuwait’s military said Iranian drones inflicted material damage to Terminal 1 of the Kuwait International Airport complex, which has recently hosted the Kuwaiti and U.S. air forces as well as being a civilian transportation hub.
In a statement on Wednesday, Kuwaiti health officials said the Iranian attack had turned the airport into a major emergency scene, with over 25 ambulances attending and doctors performing at least seven emergency surgeries. Video footage verified by The New York Times showed the interior of the terminal building filling with flames and smoke.
The terminal, which was hit at the end of the busy travel period over Eid al-Adha, had reopened to travelers on Monday after being closed for months because of the conflict. On Wednesday, officials said that a different terminal would reopen to passengers.
The Kuwaiti airport, which was also struck by drones earlier in the war, is one of many civilian airports to be hit and disrupted, including some that have also hosted military bases.
In Iraq, Iran struck military bases at Erbil International Airport in February and March. The airport also hosts U.S. forces, according to an analysis of visual evidence at the beginning of the war.
In the months since, civilian airports in the region have been struck by missiles and drones, including Baghdad International Airport in Iraq and Bahrain’s International Airport.
In the United Arab Emirates, the Dubai International Airport and Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport have also been struck.
And Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport, Iran’s primary international hub, came under fire by Israeli strikes in March, according to Iranian state media.
The conflict has caused havoc for passengers traveling through the Gulf region, forcing airlines to significantly cut their schedules and suspend certain routes. They have also hiked prices to account for the rising cost of jet fuel resulting from the closure of the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping route.
On Tuesday, British Airways extended a pause of all flights to Dubai, Tel Aviv, Bahrain and Amman until Oct. 25.
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June 3, 2026, 10:33 a.m. ET1 hour ago
Reporting from Washington
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Congress on Wednesday that the aim of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran was to demolish a “shield” of conventional weapons that Iran was using to protect its nuclear program from attack. This included missiles, drones and Iran’s navy, he said.
Mr. Rubio added that changing the Iranian government was not a goal, despite President Trump saying it was in the early days of the conflict. On the first day of the war in late February, Trump said in a video message that regime change was an objective and he encouraged Iranian citizens to overthrow the government after the first wave of attacks.
June 3, 2026, 10:26 a.m. ET1 hour ago
Reporting from New York
U.S. stocks markets fell slightly on Wednesday morning, as investors balanced hostilities in the Middle East with efforts by the United States and Iran to end their war. The S&P 500 fell 0.4 percent, after rising for the previous nine trading sessions. The price of Brent Crude, the international oil benchmark, was up roughly 1 percent to about $97 a barrel. West Texas Intermediate, the U.S. measure, also rose about 1 percent to trade at roughly $95 a barrel.
June 3, 2026, 10:13 a.m. ET1 hour ago
Reporting from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Kuwait has summoned the interim chargé d’affaires of the Iranian embassy on Wednesday to lodge an official protest against Iranian attacks on the country and declared two Iranian diplomats persona non grata, demanding that they leave the country within 24 hours.
The Kuwaiti foreign ministry said in a statement on social media that a senior official had also told the chargé d’affaires that Kuwait had refused to allow its land or airspace to be used “for any act of aggression against any country.” Iran has said that it targeted sites where American attacks against it were launched. Kuwait hosts a U.S. military base.
June 3, 2026, 9:51 a.m. ET2 hours ago
Reporting from Beirut, Lebanon
The Lebanese military said one soldier was killed and two others were wounded on Wednesday in Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon, even though the army is not a party to the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. Israel has repeatedly framed its offensive in the country as a war against Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militia, and not Lebanon. Israeli and Lebanese officials have also been taking part in U.S.-brokered talks in Washington. But the casualties underscored how Israel’s expanding campaign is increasingly drawing the Lebanese state into the conflict.
June 3, 2026, 9:04 a.m. ET3 hours ago
Lara Jakes writes about war and diplomacy.
Here’s where U.S. troops are stationed in the Gulf.
Long-term U.S. military bases
Other military sites with recent U.S. military presence
The recent Iranian strikes against Persian Gulf states, including Kuwait and Bahrain on Wednesday, have targeted countries that host American military forces.
As of this spring, there were about 50,000 U.S. troops assigned to the Middle East, 10,000 more than before the United States and Israel launched their war against Iran on Feb. 28.
Most are either at sea or on American bases in the countries that Iran has been attacking, although some have since been moved out of installations that were damaged in strikes during the war.
The largest contingent of U.S. forces in the Gulf region is usually stationed across five bases in Kuwait. Thousands of troops are also generally stationed at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the regional U.S. Central Command headquarters for military operations across the Middle East.
The U.S. military has previously said about 9,000 forces were at a Navy base in Bahrain, where the U.S. Fifth Fleet is headquartered. U.S. Central Command on Wednesday denied a claim by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps that Iranian forces had struck the headquarters of the U.S. Fifth Fleet and a U.S. air base in the region.
The United Arab Emirates government has previously put the number of American forces at the Al Dhafra Air Base, south of the capital Abu Dhabi, at about 5,000. Saudi Arabia also hosts some troops, and the United States has a standing agreement to send military forces to Oman on preapproved missions.
Troop numbers in combat zones often fluctuate, and a U.S. military spokesman declined on Wednesday to provide current estimates, citing security concerns.
Data compiled by the Institute for National Security Studies, a research group based in Tel Aviv, shows that the U.A.E. had been targeted by more than 2,800 Iranian missiles and drones as of May 31. That was twice as many as any other Gulf country so far.
Analysts say the U.A.E. is a key target not just because of its proximity to Iran, but also because it is a regional hub for trade, aviation, logistics, finance and tourism. In striking the U.A.E., Iran is also aiming to undermine global confidence in Abu Dhabi’s ability to protect its country and the seas around it.
About 1,200 Iranian airstrikes have targeted Kuwait and just over 900 were launched against Saudi Arabia, according to the data, which was attributed to official reports by those governments. Fewer than 1,000 strikes targeted Bahrain, Qatar and Oman.
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June 3, 2026, 8:57 a.m. ET3 hours ago
Reporting from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
The Kuwaiti authorities said that the person who was killed in an Iranian strike on the country’s international airport on Wednesday was an Indian resident of the country. The attack on the country included 13 ballistic missiles and 17 drones, the Kuwaiti authorities added in a statement published on social media.
June 3, 2026, 8:37 a.m. ET3 hours ago
Reporting from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain add further strain to the cease-fire.
Iranian attacks targeted Kuwait and Bahrain on Wednesday, the U.S. military and local authorities said, killing at least one person, injuring more than 60 and disrupting aviation during a busy holiday season across the region.
The death is the first reported fatality in a Gulf state since the United States and Iran agreed to a cease-fire in April, and as the countries continue to exchange strikes despite a truce that was meant to allow them to negotiate an end to the war.
U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations in the region, said that a wave of Iranian drones had “failed to hit intended targets.” It added in a separate statement that no American personnel were harmed in an attempted attack on U.S. forces in Kuwait.
Hours later, Kuwait’s foreign ministry announced that an Iranian ballistic missile and drone attack had seriously damaged the country’s international airport, killing one person. The country’s health ministry said in a separate statement that 63 people were injured in the attack.
Bahrain’s military said on Wednesday that it had intercepted three Iranian missiles and several drones targeting civilian sites. Overnight, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had targeted an American naval base in Bahrain.
The Iranian foreign ministry said that Iran had a right to target the origin of U.S. attacks on facilities on Qeshm Island, according to Iranian state media. U.S. Central Command said it had conducted “self-defense strikes” on Qeshm Island in response to attempted Iranian attacks across the region.
The attacks came during a busy travel season at the tail end of the Islamic holiday of Eid Al Adha.
The strikes on Kuwait injured both travelers and airport workers, Abdullah al-Rajhi, a spokesman for the country’s civil aviation authority, told a local television channel. It also damaged “diplomatic missions,” the foreign ministry said, without elaborating.
In recent years, U.S. forces have operated out of a site within that airport complex. It was unclear if they are currently doing so.
The attacks highlighted the dilemma that Gulf Arab governments are confronting as the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran drags on. They have been dragged into a conflict with a neighboring country that they had hoped to avoid through diplomacy.
Since the war began, the Gulf countries have been targeted in thousands of Iranian missile and drone strikes that have killed civilians and damaged critical infrastructure, including ports and energy facilities, as well as hotels. Although the frequency of the attacks has decreased significantly since the cease-fire was announced, periodic strikes have persisted.
This week, Kuwait reported Iranian attacks and the United Arab Emirates said it had been targeted by multiple Iranian strikes.
The Gulf Arab countries have traditionally relied on the U.S. military to protect them and deter attacks from Iran. Yet the presence of U.S. bases and American troops on their land — along with secret direct attacks that some of the Gulf states have launched against Iran — have made them prime targets.
Iran has also found an effective way to increase economic pressure on President Trump by attacking the Gulf countries, which are major energy exporters and important hubs for global trade. Oil prices rose on Wednesday and are up more than 30 percent since the start of the war, as the latest attacks raised new doubts about diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.
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June 3, 2026, 8:18 a.m. ET3 hours ago
President Trump signaled in an interview with the New York Post that he was not in a hurry to end the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, saying it was possible that the U.S. naval blockade of the waterway could remain in place for weeks. “I don’t know,” Trump said when asked whether the blockade would still be in place by Labor Day on Sept. 7. “I mean, I think it could be, but I think it’s unlikely, I think that we’ll have it — I think this will resolve itself fairly quickly.”
June 3, 2026, 7:44 a.m. ET4 hours ago
Satellite imagery provided by Airbus DS from Wednesday morning showed damage to the roof of a passenger terminal at Kuwait International Airport.
Damage
KUWAIT AIRPORT
Source: Airbus DS 2026.
The New York Times
June 3, 2026, 7:46 a.m. ET4 hours ago
James McManagan
The view from the satellite image corresponded with the damage seen on a video posted on social media on Wednesday. The footage, verified by The New York Times, shows flames and smoke inside the terminal, with people rushing away from the large hole in the roof.
June 3, 2026, 7:38 a.m. ET4 hours ago
Reporting from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
A senior Emirati official urged the Gulf Arab states to form a united front to counter Iranian aggression after the attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain on Wednesday. “This aggression doesn’t target one specific country, it targets all of us,” Anwar Gargash, a diplomatic advisor to the Emirati leader, wrote on social media.
June 3, 2026, 7:22 a.m. ET4 hours ago
Reporting from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
The Iranian attack that hit Kuwait’s international airport on Wednesday injured 63 people, the country’s health ministry said, hours after the authorities said one person had been killed in the bombardment.
June 3, 2026, 7:14 a.m. ET4 hours ago
Reporting from Beirut, Lebanon
At least six people were killed in Israeli strikes on Wednesday near the southern Lebanese city of Tyre, according to Lebanon’s state-run news agency. The Israeli military has bombarded targets in the city and surrounding area since launching a renewed offensive last week against Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group. Fighting in southern Lebanon has continued largely unabated, even after President Trump intervened this week to pull Israel back from threatened attacks on Beirut’s southern suburbs.
June 3, 2026, 7:11 a.m. ET4 hours ago
Leo Sands
President Trump stressed that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel have a broadly positive relationship, but the president admitted that he has been “perturbed” by Israel “constantly fighting” in Lebanon. Trump confirmed in the interview with the New York Post that he had repeatedly used expletives to convey his frustration in a recent phone conversation with Netanyahu, but said that the leaders have a good working relationship. “We’ve worked very well together,” he said, amid reports of splits between the leaders.
June 3, 2026, 7:02 a.m. ET5 hours ago
Leo Sands
President Trump said that he did not know the extent of the injuries of Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei. “If you believe the stories, he’s missing a lot of different parts,” he said in an interview with the New York Post when asked about the Iranian leader’s medical condition.
Khamenei has not been seen in public since succeeding his father as supreme leader in March. Iranian and Israeli officials have said that he was injured on the first day of the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran.
June 3, 2026, 6:46 a.m. ET5 hours ago
Leo Sands
President Trump has said that Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, is involved in the negotiations to end the war and that he hopes to meet him. In an interview with the New York Post published on Wednesday, Trump said that he expected to meet Khamenei, who has not been seen in public since he became supreme leader in March, “at some point.”
There was no immediate comment from the Iranian authorities and it was unclear if Khamenei, who is believed to have been injured on the opening day of the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran in late February, would want to meet with the president.
June 3, 2026, 5:56 a.m. ET6 hours ago
Reporting from Beirut, Lebanon
The Israeli military said on Wednesday that it had intercepted a “suspicious aerial target,” a phrase that it typically uses when referring to drones, that had crossed from Lebanon, after sirens sounded in the northern Israeli communities of Manara and Kiryat Shmona. The incursion occurred two days after Israel pulled back from a threat to strike Beirut following an intervention by President Trump. Israeli leaders have warned that the military could strike targets in Beirut if Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed armed group, launched new attacks on Israeli communities.
June 3, 2026, 5:35 a.m. ET6 hours ago
Reporting from Beirut, Lebanon
Kuwait said Wednesday that one person had been killed in what it described as renewed Iranian attacks on the country, the first reported fatality in a Gulf state from Iranian strikes since the April cease-fire. Kuwait’s foreign ministry said the attacks had targeted civilian and vital facilities, including Kuwait International Airport. Kuwait’s national news agency later said the airport had partially reopened. The ministry condemned what it called “repeated” Iranian attacks and said Kuwait reserved the right to take appropriate measures in response.
June 3, 2026, 4:47 a.m. ET7 hours ago
Bahrain’s military said Wednesday morning that it intercepted three Iranian missiles and several drones targeted civilian sites in the kingdom. Overnight, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had targeted the headquarters of the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, part of an exchange of strikes between Iran and the United States.
June 3, 2026, 4:47 a.m. ET7 hours ago
Reporting from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
An Iranian attack on Kuwait International Airport injured travelers and airport workers, caused serious damage to a terminal and forced the suspension of flights, Abdullah al-Rajhi, a spokesman for Kuwait’s civil aviation authority, told a local television channel. The attack came at the end of a busy Eid Al Adha holiday travel period.
June 3, 2026, 4:47 a.m. ET7 hours ago
Reporting from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
In recent years, U.S. forces have operated out of a site within Kuwait’s international airport complex. It is unclear if that is currently the case.
June 3, 2026, 4:47 a.m. ET7 hours ago
Reporting from Beirut, Lebanon
Israeli warplanes and drones struck towns and villages across southern Lebanon on Wednesday, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency. The agency also reported several attacks that targeted vehicles.
June 3, 2026, 4:47 a.m. ET7 hours ago
Reporting from London
Oil prices rose on Wednesday, as military strikes in the Middle East sow doubts about efforts between Iran and the United States to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Brent Crude, the international benchmark, was up 1.5 percent to nearly $89 a barrel and West Texas Intermediate, the U.S. benchmark, was up almost 3 percent to about $96 a barrel.
Elevated energy costs are one reason why the global economy is expected to slow this year even if oil prices begin to fall, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a Paris-based group of advanced economies, said on Wednesday. The disruption to the supply of fuel, fertilizers and other commodities from the Gulf will also push inflation higher into next year. “The evolution of the Middle East conflict remains uncertain, but its economic consequences are likely to be felt for some time even after its resolution,” the group said in a report.
June 3, 2026, 4:47 a.m. ET7 hours ago
Reporting from Beirut, Lebanon
Israel issued evacuation warnings on Wednesday morning for residents in several towns and villages across southern Lebanon. The order was announced hours after the Israeli military said Hezbollah militants were operating from the Christian quarter of the southern city of Tyre, and called on residents to remove them.
Israeli evacuation warnings have expanded in recent days to include major urban areas like Tyre and Nabatieh that are typically home to large businesses and dense civilian populations.