Kuwait City: Iranian strikes kill Indian workers at power plant and airport
Kuwait suffered multiple Iranian strikes on critical infrastructure, with separate attacks on a power and desalination plant and the international airport killing Indian nationals and injuring dozens of others. The incidents sent shockwaves through Kuwait's large South Asian expatriate community. Indian consular application centres in Kuwait also announced resumption of services from 23 July 2026 following a period of suspension.
Iranian Strike on Kuwait Power Plant Kills Indian Worker, State News Agency Reports
An Iranian strike on a power and water desalination plant in Kuwait killed one Indian worker and inflicted significant material damage on a service building at the site, Kuwait's electricity ministry confirmed, as reported by TRT World. Ministry spokesperson Fatima Abbas Jawhar Hayat stated that a service building at the power and water desalination plant was attacked as part of what she termed the 'Iranian aggression against the State of Kuwait,' resulting in the death of an Indian worker and significant material damage. Kuwait's state-run KUNA news agency reported the same attack killed one worker and injured 10 soldiers. The targeted facility was a combined power generation and desalination plant, a type of infrastructure critical to Kuwait's water supply. TRT World explained that desalination plants across Gulf Arab states remain vital to domestic water provision, and that a similar Iranian attack had previously damaged a desalination plant in Bahrain during the same conflict. The dual-function nature of these plants — producing both electricity and drinkable water — reflects the energy-intensive process of desalination; the facilities are typically co-located with power generation assets. Iran had previously issued explicit warnings that it would target Gulf power and desalination facilities in retaliation for attacks on its own energy infrastructure. For Kuwait's hundreds of thousands of Indian and South Asian workers, many of whom staff critical infrastructure operations, the attack brought the regional conflict directly into their working environment. [1]
Iranian Attack on Kuwait Airport Kills Indian National and Injures 63
An Iranian attack on Kuwait's international airport killed one Indian national and injured 63 people, forcing the airport to temporarily close, marking what The New Indian Express described as the first direct strike on the airport during the conflict, according to a report published on 3 June 2026. Kuwait's ministry of defence stated that 30 ballistic missiles and drones were launched as part of what it called the 'heinous Iranian aggression' against Kuwait, causing significant material damage to airport buildings and infrastructure. The attack directly affected the safety of Kuwait's large Indian and South Asian expatriate community, for whom Kuwait International Airport is the primary gateway for travel to and from home countries. Kuwait hosts one of the largest Indian expatriate populations in the Gulf region, with Indian workers forming a core part of the country's labour force across construction, healthcare, domestic service, and skilled trades sectors. The temporary airport closure disrupted onward travel, prevented arrivals and departures, and stranded passengers during the closure period. The death of an Indian national in the airport attack, combined with the earlier killing of an Indian worker at the power and desalination plant, means at least two Indian nationals were killed in Iranian strikes on Kuwait infrastructure during this period. Both incidents generated significant diplomatic concern and community anxiety about the safety of Indian workers in Kuwait. [4]
🤝 Indian Consular Application Centres in Kuwait Resume Services from July 23
Indian Consular Application Centres in Kuwait announced they would resume services starting 23 July 2026, according to the Times Kuwait, a Kuwait-based English-language newspaper serving the expatriate community. The resumption of services was a significant practical development for Kuwait's Indian expatriate population, one of the largest South Asian communities in any Gulf country. Consular Application Centres, or CACs, handle essential visa and document processing for Indian nationals in Kuwait, including passport renewals, visa stamping, police clearance certificates, and other official documentation required for employment, residency, and travel. Any suspension of these services — likely linked to the heightened security situation following Iranian strikes on Kuwait — would have left thousands of Indian workers unable to process time-sensitive documents critical for their legal status and livelihoods. The announcement of resumption from 23 July gave Indian workers and their employers a specific date to plan document submissions and appointments. For Indian nationals in Kuwait on time-sensitive work visas or employment contracts, the reopening of consular processing provided practical relief after an extended period of disruption. Kuwait's Indian community relies heavily on CAC services given the scale of the expat workforce; any disruption produces ripple effects across thousands of families both in Kuwait and in the home states of India. The Times Kuwait report confirmed this as directly relevant daily-life news for Indian residents in the Gulf state. [3]
Sources: [1] TRT World · [4] The New Indian Express · [3] Times Kuwait