Drone strikes targeted key energy infrastructure across the Gulf on Sunday, causing significant damage to facilities in Kuwait, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi, officials said, though no injuries were reported. The attacks mark an escalation in regional tensions, with energy sites increasingly becoming focal points in the ongoing conflict.
In Kuwait, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation said several of its facilities suffered fires and “severe material damage” following drone strikes. The company confirmed that emergency teams were working to contain blazes at units operated by its affiliates, including Petrochemical Industries Company and National Petroleum Company.
Earlier in the day, a separate fire broke out at the Shuwaikh oil sector complex, which houses the country’s oil ministry and KPC headquarters, after another drone strike. Kuwaiti state media, citing the finance ministry, reported that an Iranian drone also hit a government office complex, causing significant structural damage but no casualties.
Kuwait’s Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy said two power generation and desalination plants were also targeted. Spokesperson Eng. Fatima Abbas Jawhar Hayat said the attacks forced the shutdown of two electricity generation units. She added that emergency response teams were deployed immediately to maintain stability in power and water supplies, with crews working continuously to minimise disruption.
In Bahrain, Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company reported a fire at one of its operating units after a similar drone strike. The blaze was brought under control without injuries, and authorities are assessing the extent of the damage. The company, a major producer of petrochemicals and fertilisers in the region, is jointly owned by the Bahraini government, SABIC Agri-Nutrients Company, and Kuwait’s Petrochemical Industries Company.
In the United Arab Emirates, authorities in Abu Dhabi responded to multiple fires at the Borouge Petrochemicals Factory after debris from intercepted drones fell on the site. Operations at the facility were suspended pending a full assessment of the damage. Officials said air defence systems had successfully intercepted the incoming threats, limiting the impact on critical infrastructure.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying they targeted petrochemical plants in the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain.
The incidents highlight the vulnerability of Gulf energy infrastructure as the conflict intensifies. Despite the scale of the damage, authorities across the region stressed that there had been no loss of life and that efforts were under way to restore operations and ensure continuity of essential services.
