Kuwait Reports Death of Indian Worker Following Iranian Attack on Power Plant

An Indian national working at a Kuwaiti power station was killed early Sunday after Iranian strikes targeted critical infrastructure across the Gulf state, Kuwait's Ministry of Electricity, Water, and Renewable Energy confirmed, marking the first reported civilian fatality in a dramatic escalation of tensions between Tehran and Gulf Cooperation Council member states.

The ministry said the attack struck a power generation facility and an adjacent desalination plant, causing significant damage to a service building and killing the worker, whose identity has not yet been released pending notification of his family. Kuwaiti authorities said they were in contact with the Indian embassy in Kuwait City to coordinate consular assistance.

In a separate statement, the Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense reported that 14 ballistic missiles and 12 drones were launched toward Kuwaiti territory, with several intercepted before reaching their targets. The strikes that penetrated air defenses injured 10 military personnel stationed at a base in the country's north, the ministry said, adding that the wounded were receiving treatment at military hospitals and that none were in critical condition.

The attack represents a significant departure from decades of relative restraint between Iran and the smaller Gulf states. Kuwait, which shares maritime borders with Iran across the Persian Gulf, has historically maintained a more conciliatory diplomatic posture toward Tehran compared to some of its GCC partners, making the strikes all the more alarming to regional observers.

Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement condemning the attack in the strongest terms, calling it a flagrant violation of international law and Kuwait's sovereignty. Doha called for an immediate de-escalation and urged all parties to pursue dialogue over confrontation. Qatar, which maintains diplomatic channels with Tehran while hosting the largest American military base in the region at Al Udeid, is expected to play a central mediating role in the crisis.

The GCC secretariat convened an emergency session in Riyadh within hours of the strikes, with member states expressing unanimous solidarity with Kuwait. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, and Qatar all issued individual condemnations, with several placing their armed forces on heightened alert.

India's Ministry of External Affairs said it was closely monitoring the situation and working to verify the identity of the deceased worker. An estimated 900,000 Indian nationals live and work in Kuwait, forming the largest expatriate community in the country, and the attack has raised urgent concerns about the safety of foreign workers across the Gulf.

The United Nations Security Council was expected to hold an emergency meeting later Sunday at the request of Kuwait and several Arab states. Washington and London both condemned the strikes, with the White House calling them reckless and destabilizing.

Kuwaiti emergency services remained deployed across the capital and surrounding areas as authorities assessed the full extent of the damage to civilian infrastructure. Power supply to several residential districts was temporarily disrupted but had been largely restored by midday, the electricity ministry said.