# [FLASH] Reports: Iran Missile Barrage Hits Kuwaiti Security Academy as Tehran ‘Resumes War’ *Saturday, July 18, 2026 at 1:29 PM UTC — Hamer Intelligence Services Desk* **Detected**: 2026-07-18T13:29:38.811Z (3h ago) **Tags**: Iran, Kuwait, Iraq, UnitedStates, Missiles, Drones, Gulf, Oil **Sources**: OSINT **Permalink**: https://hamerintel.com/data/alerts/15215.md **Source**: https://hamerintel.com/summaries --- **Summary**: Iranian ballistic missiles and drones have reportedly struck Kuwait’s Academy of Security Sciences and Kurdish positions in Iraq around 13:00 UTC, as Tehran’s envoy declares Iran is ‘officially resuming war’ after US attacks on its infrastructure. Direct hits on a Kuwaiti interior ministry training hub signal a dangerous widening of the Iran–US confrontation into Gulf partner territory, putting US basing, Gulf energy exports, and shipping insurance under acute pressure. ## Detail Iran appears to be widening its retaliatory campaign across the Gulf, with multiple reports around 13:00 UTC that ballistic missiles and drones have struck Kuwait’s Academy of Security Sciences and Kurdish targets near Sulaymaniyah in Iraqi Kurdistan. In parallel, Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan has been quoted as saying Tehran is ‘officially resuming war’ following US strikes on Iranian infrastructure, and a senior deputy foreign minister announced the suspension of commitments under an unspecified Memorandum of Understanding, citing US non‑compliance. Open‑source feeds at 13:03–13:04 UTC report “Iranian ballistic missiles hit The Kuwaiti Academy of Security” with video showing a large fire at the Academy of Security Sciences, an institution under Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior that trains police and internal security forces. Separate footage and commentary around 13:04 UTC describe Iranian drone strikes on Sulaymaniyah in Iraqi Kurdistan about 20 minutes earlier, with large fires observed at Kurdish militia positions. These follow an already‑reported wave of Iranian missile and drone strikes on US bases and facilities in the region, and heavy US strikes on bridges serving Iran’s Bandar Abbas logistics hub. If confirmed, the strike on a core Kuwaiti security institution marks a notable escalation. It directly targets a GCC state apparatus rather than proxy forces, raising the risk that Kuwait and other Gulf states will tighten cooperation with Washington and could adjust base access, airspace and security postures. For Kuwaitis, this is an attack on the backbone of domestic policing capacity; for expatriate workers and the logistics sector, it heightens fears about further attacks on state facilities that sit close to ports, airports and key road corridors. Militarily, Iran is signaling that US military infrastructure cannot be isolated from the wider network of partner states that host or support US assets. Strikes on Sulaymaniyah highlight Tehran’s continued willingness to hit Kurdish groups it views as hostile, even while confronting US forces directly. The stated suspension of MoU commitments—though not fully specified—suggests Tehran is discarding constraints from prior understandings with Washington or regional interlocutors, opening the door to more frequent and less predictable missile and drone launches across a wider geography. For markets, a sustained campaign of Iranian strikes into Kuwait and Iraq tightens the perceived risk corridor from the Strait of Hormuz through northern Gulf export terminals. While no direct hit on oil export infrastructure is reported in this specific Kuwaiti incident, insurers will re‑rate war risk for Gulf ports, bunkering hubs, and overland fuel transport close to security facilities. Brent, already trading higher on earlier Iran–US salvos, is exposed to further spikes as traders price in higher odds of miscalculation that could temporarily close or restrict key shipping lanes. Gold and US Treasuries are likely to see safe‑haven inflows, while GCC equities—especially aviation, tourism, and logistics—face renewed selling. Kuwaiti sovereign spreads and CDS could widen if further attacks land on state infrastructure. In the next 24–48 hours, critical watch points include: (1) Confirmation from Kuwaiti authorities on casualties, attribution and whether US or coalition personnel were present at or near the academy; (2) Any Kuwaiti or GCC moves to invoke defense agreements with the US, tighten air defense coordination, or publicly warn Iran; (3) Additional Iranian launches toward Gulf state facilities, especially near oil, gas, and export terminals; (4) US response thresholds—whether Washington limits retaliation to Iranian assets or broadens strikes on IRGC infrastructure and logistics beyond previously hit bridges; and (5) shipping and insurance reactions—changes in premiums, alterations to tanker routing, or advisory notices raising threat levels for calls in Kuwait, Iraq, and nearby ports. **MARKET IMPACT ASSESSMENT:** High immediate upside pressure on oil and refined products as Gulf war risk premiums expand; safe-haven flows into gold and USD/JPY likely; regional equities (Gulf, aviation, tourism, logistics) and insurers exposed to further downside. Watch Brent pushing beyond recent $88 spike, GCC CDS widening, and airline/shipping equities for repricing of Gulf operational risk.