Kuwait Reports Drone Attack as Iran Ceasefire Faces New Tests

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Kuwait's military reported that hostile drones entered its airspace early Sunday, prompting a response from its forces. The development came as a cargo ship caught fire after being struck by an unknown projectile off Qatar's coast, testing a month-old ceasefire in the Iran war.

Kuwait's Defense Ministry spokesman said forces responded in accordance with established procedures. There were no immediate reports of casualties from the drone incident. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre reported that the naval strike caused a small fire on the ship 23 nautical miles northeast of Qatar's capital, Doha.

The fire was extinguished and there were no reported casualties. The center gave no details on the ship's owner or origin and there was no immediate claim of responsibility.

The attacks were the latest threats to a ceasefire that the Trump administration says remains in effect. The agreement has faced difficulties, with Iran restricting traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. imposing a blockade of Iranian ports.

Washington has been awaiting Iran's response to a new proposal for a deal to end the war, reopen the strait to shipping and roll back Iran's nuclear program. One of the main sticking points is the fate of Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

The U.N. nuclear agency says Iran has more than 440 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60% purity. A spokesman for the Iranian military told state media that forces were on full readiness to protect nuclear sites where the uranium is stored.

Iran's highly enriched uranium is likely still at its Isfahan nuclear complex, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General. The Isfahan facility was hit during last year's 12-day war and faced further attacks this year. Iran's Revolutionary Guard navy reiterated its warning that any attack on Iranian oil tankers or commercial vessels would be met with a heavy assault on one of the U.S. bases in the region and enemy ships.

On Friday, the U.S. struck two Iranian oil tankers after saying the vessels were trying to breach its blockade of Iran's ports. Iran has mostly blocked the critical waterway for global energy since joint strikes on Feb. 28 by the U.S. and Israel launched the war, which has caused a global spike in fuel prices and rattled world markets.