Raw footage has emerged showing the precise moment an Iranian drone struck Kuwait International Airport, shattering the region's fragile peace. The attack, which occurred during peak morning hours, sent shockwaves through the Gulf state and left at least 12 airport staff and passengers injured, according to preliminary reports. The footage, verified by security analysts, shows a low-flying drone descending rapidly before detonating near a terminal building, igniting a fireball that damaged the runway and forced an immediate suspension of all flights.
This is not an act of war in the traditional sense, but it is a reckoning. For the working people of Kuwait, it means the price of bread may rise again. For the region, it means the fabric of daily life is torn a little further. The attack was not aimed at military installations but at a civilian airport. This is the 'Real Economy' writ large: when drones strike, it is the wages and safety of ordinary families that get hit hardest.
Iran has denied involvement, but satellite imagery and radar data point to a coordinated launch from a base in southern Iran. The drone, reportedly a Shahed-136, travelled over 200 km undetected before striking. The timing suggests a deliberate attempt to disrupt the morning rush, when labourers, cleaners, and ground staff were busily working to keep planes in the air. These are the invisible hands that keep the global economy moving, and now they are the ones who bear the scars.
The attack comes amid mounting tensions over Iran's nuclear programme and its proxy warfare across the Middle East. But for the kitchen table of a Kuwaiti family, the immediate worry is the chaos at the airport. Flights are cancelled, business deals are on hold, and the reverberations will be felt in supply chains. The cost of imported goods, from electronics to staple foods, is likely to spike in the coming days. Fuel prices may also rise, hitting the pockets of commuters already squeezed by inflation.
Union leaders in Kuwait have called for an emergency meeting with the government to demand better protection for airport workers. 'We are not soldiers, we are mechanics, baggage handlers, and security guards. We need bomb shelters, not just pay cheques,' said Fatima al-Rashidi, a representative of the Airport Workers' Union. Her words echo a global truth: in an age of drone warfare, every workplace is a potential front line.
Regional leaders have condemned the strike, with Saudi Arabia calling it 'a dangerous escalation' and Qatar expressing 'solidarity with the brotherly people of Kuwait'. But condemning is not the same as protecting. The US military has offered intelligence support, but there is little appetite for a wider war. The damage is done, and the cost will be paid by the people.
This is not just a foreign policy crisis. It is a crisis of living standards. Kuwait's economy, heavily reliant on oil revenues, has already been strained by fluctuating prices. This attack threatens to scare away investment and tourists, further tightening the screws on local businesses and their employees. The government has pledged to rebuild the damaged terminal quickly, but the psychological damage may linger longer.
As the probe continues, one thing is clear: the 'Real Economy' is once again the victim of geopolitical games. The workers who clean the airport toilets and load the cargo are the ones who will lose their overtime, their security, and possibly their jobs. And that is a story that must be told, not just in headlines but in the daily struggle to make ends meet.
