ALBAWABA- Kuwait’s two largest oil refineries were struck by drones on Thursday, marking a sharp escalation in attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure amid the widening Iran–Israel conflict.
The state-owned Kuwait Petroleum Corporation said a drone first hit the Mina al-Ahmadi refinery, one of the Middle East’s largest facilities with a capacity of 730,000 barrels per day, igniting a fire that was quickly contained without casualties.
Minutes later, a second drone struck the nearby Mina Abdullah refinery, which processes around 454,000 barrels per day, setting part of the site ablaze. Emergency crews brought both fires under control, while authorities assess the impact on production.
BREAKING || Drone Hit Sparks Fire at Kuwait Refinery
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) March 19, 2026
- Blaze reported at Mina Al-Ahmadi facility
- No injuries reported in the incident
- Fire contained as per safety protocols@RishabhMPratap shares more details with @Swatij14. pic.twitter.com/p408OHZSTN
The strikes are part of Iran’s expanding retaliation following Israeli airstrikes on the South Pars/North Dome field, the world’s largest natural gas reserve, which disrupted Iranian processing operations. Since then, Tehran has targeted energy sites across the Gulf, including facilities near Ras Laffan, as well as locations in Saudi Arabia.
The escalation has drawn widespread concern from Arab states, the European Union and the United Nations over threats to regional stability and global energy supplies.
U.S. President Donald Trump denied prior knowledge of the Israeli strike and warned Iran to halt attacks on Qatar, threatening a “massive” U.S. response against Iranian gas infrastructure if they continue.
