Video: CCTV footage reveals moment Iran Shahed-136 drone hits Kuwait airport terminal

CCTV footage from multiple angles captured a low-flying drone slamming into a passenger terminal at Kuwait International Airport on Wednesday, causing visible damage.

This raises questions about the accuracy of Iranian denials that it targeted civilian infrastructure amid escalating regional conflict.

One widely-circulated video shows the unmanned aerial vehicle, consistent in appearance with an Iranian Shahed-136 "kamikaze" drone, approaching Terminal 1 from the east before impacting the structure.

Kuwait's Public Authority for Civil Aviation (PACA) on Wednesday activated its emergency plan at Kuwait International Airport after Terminal 1 was struck by an Iranian drone.

CCTV captures Shahed-136 'dive phase'

Additional angles from security cameras depict the drone in its terminal dive phase and the ensuing explosion and smoke, according to posts circulating on social media and analysed by open-source intelligence accounts.

IRGC denies responsibility, blames US Patriot missile malfunction

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) denied responsibility for striking the airport, instead attributing the damage to a "malfunctioning" US-made Patriot air defence missile that allegedly failed to intercept Iranian projectiles and fell onto the terminal.

“The Aerospace Force did not target Kuwait Airport. The damage was caused by Patriot systems that landed on the terminal after a failed interception attempt,” an IRGC spokesman said, according to Iranian state media.

An MD550 engine, known as the main propulsion for Iran's Shahed 136 kamikazes, was found from the debris following the Kuwait airport attack.

The incident comes as Iran has launched missile and drone barrages targeting US military facilities in the Gulf in retaliation for US strikes on Iranian sites, including a communications tower on Qeshm Island.

Tehran has claimed strikes on US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, while US Central Command has reported intercepting most incoming threats.

Kuwaiti authorities suspended airport operations.

Social media users and analysts noted the drone’s trajectory and characteristics appeared inconsistent with a falling Patriot interceptor.

Viral reactions online amplified the exchange, with one prominent X post by Mario Nawfal highlighting the footage and Iran’s denial, calling the Patriot explanation difficult to sustain given the visual evidence.

The episode underscores the fog of the ongoing US-Iran confrontation, where both sides have traded accusations over civilian and military targets.

Similar claims of Patriot malfunctions have surfaced in incidents involving Bahrain and other Gulf locations, though US officials have rejected such assertions as disinformation.

The strike on Kuwait's civilian airport has drawn condemnation from regional governments.

The broader conflict has disrupted air travel and heightened alerts across Gulf states hosting American forces.