Newsletters
A fire broke out at a second Kuwaiti power generation and water desalination plant early Saturday following an Iranian attack, Kuwait's Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy said, marking the second such facility struck within 24 hours.
In a statement on its official channels, the ministry said that "amid the continuing unjust Iranian aggression against the State of Kuwait," another power generation and water desalination station was struck in a hostile attack that caused a fire to break out in one of the plant's components.
The ministry said this required precautionary operational measures, including taking a number of generation units offline, to preserve the safety of the facility and its workers and to maintain the stability of the electrical grid.
The ministry said its emergency response teams were coordinating with the General Fire Force and relevant authorities to handle the fire.
It said all operational plans and emergency response measures had been activated immediately following the incident to ensure the continuity of the electrical and water systems and limit any potential impact on service, with technical and operational follow-up continuing around the clock.
The ministry called on citizens and residents to cooperate during this "exceptional phase" by rationalizing electricity consumption, particularly during peak hours from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., saying this would help ease the load on the electrical grid and support technical teams as they complete repair work and restore operational readiness as quickly as possible.
The ministry said it would continue to keep the public informed of developments through its official channels, urging people to rely only on official sources for information and not to give attention to or circulate unverified rumors or information.
Kuwait's Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy Ministry said the fire followed Iranian attacks early Saturday, describing it as necessitating "precautionary operational measures to ensure the safety of the plant and the stability of the electrical grid" and the activation of emergency plans.
It marked the second time in roughly 24 hours that Kuwait reported an electricity and desalination facility being targeted, following a similar attack reported Friday that damaged a power generation and water desalination plant, sparked a fire, and affected several electricity-generating units, according to a separate ministry statement.
The Kuwaiti army said Saturday that its air defense forces were "currently responding to hostile missile and drone threats" launched by Iran.
"The General Staff of the Kuwaiti Armed Forces confirms that any explosions that may be heard are the result of air defense systems intercepting hostile targets," the army said in a post on X, calling on the public to follow official security instructions.
Kuwait's Defense Ministry had said Friday that its armed forces had been intercepting ballistic missiles and drones targeting the country since dawn. Defense Ministry spokesperson Saud Abdulaziz al-Atwan said what he called "the sinful Iranian aggression" had targeted several army facilities and camps with drones, injuring several Kuwait Land Force personnel who were carrying out their duties.
"The wounded received medical care and were in stable condition," he said.
Al-Atwan said several vital and civilian facilities were also targeted Friday, including a power generation and water desalination plant, sparking a fire and damaging several facilities and electricity-generating units.
He said debris also fell at several locations across the country, causing material damage, but that no civilian casualties were reported.
Regional tensions have escalated since February, when the U.S. and Israel launched a joint offensive against Iran, with Tehran responding with missile and drone strikes on Gulf countries hosting U.S. military assets.
Iran and the U.S. signed a Pakistan-brokered Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) last month aimed at ending the conflict, but tensions have intensified again in recent days over the Strait of Hormuz, with both sides continuing to exchange attacks.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
