Daijiworld Media Network – Kuwait City

Kuwait City, Sep 3: Iran launched missile and drone attacks towards Kuwait on Thursday, intensifying its retaliation against the United States following a series of American strikes earlier this week.

Air raid sirens sounded across Kuwait early Thursday as the country’s air defence systems moved to intercept the incoming missiles and drones. Kuwait’s Ministry of Defence described the attacks as a “blatant Iranian aggression”.

The latest attacks came a day after US allies Bahrain and Jordan reported intercepting several Iranian aerial attacks. The developments have heightened concerns that the conflict could spread further across the Gulf region.

Tensions between the US and Iran have escalated this week after American forces struck Iranian rocket launchers on an island in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday. The United States said Iran was preparing to use the launchers to deploy mines in the strategic waterway.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to consolidate Israel’s fragmented right-wing political camp ahead of the October 27 elections.

Several small pro-Netanyahu parties are competing for votes, including hard-line blocs led by Cabinet ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. Netanyahu is urging these parties to unite into larger political blocs to improve their chances of crossing the electoral threshold and entering parliament.

The fragmentation of the right-wing vote could otherwise weaken Netanyahu’s prospects by dividing support among several parties.

The upcoming election is widely viewed as a referendum on Netanyahu’s nearly 17 years in power and his handling of a turbulent period that has included mass protests, the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks and years of war.

A victory would strengthen Netanyahu’s political comeback, while defeat could bring an end to the long political career of the Israeli leader, who has played a dominant role in the country’s politics for three decades.