Iran escalates regional strikes, hitting Kuwait airport and Saudi sites as Gulf nations intercept missiles and drones, with war entering its second week
DUBAI: Gulf nations reported new missile and drone attacks on Sunday as Iran vowed to continue strikes against neighbouring countries.
Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait all reported fresh assaults, following loud explosions in Dubai and Bahrain’s Manama a day earlier.
Qatar’s defence ministry stated the country was targeted on Saturday by 10 ballistic missiles and two cruise missiles fired from Iran.
Most were intercepted and caused no casualties.
Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry said it intercepted and destroyed 15 drones that entered the kingdom’s airspace, including six east of capital Riyadh.
Kuwait’s military responded to a wave of hostile drones that penetrated its airspace.
Fuel tanks at Kuwait’s international airport were targeted in a drone attack.
The military called it a direct targeting of vital infrastructure.
A separate statement said some civilian facilities sustained material damage from falling fragments and debris.
The attacks came despite Iran’s president apologising to Gulf countries for earlier strikes.
He had said they would no longer be targeted unless strikes were launched from their territory first.
Hours later, Iran’s judiciary chief said strikes would continue on sites in Gulf countries at the disposal of the enemy.
UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said in a rare televised address that the Emirates were in a period of war.
He stated they would emerge stronger from it.
Dubai authorities said a Pakistani national was killed by debris from an aerial interception on Saturday.
Earlier, Dubai closed its main airport after authorities said an unidentified object was intercepted nearby.
The airport later partially resumed operations.
A witness told AFP of a loud explosion followed by a cloud of smoke.
Footage verified by AFP recorded the sound of a drone followed by a loud explosion and plumes of smoke.
The government said there had been a minor incident resulting from the fall of debris after an interception.
It said there were no injuries.
The Flightradar24 tracking website showed planes circling above the airport in an apparent holding pattern.
Emirates airline had announced it was suspending all flights to and from Dubai, but later said it had resumed operations.
The UAE has been the most heavily targeted nation in the Gulf during the war.
The defence ministry said 221 ballistic missiles were detected since the war began on February 28.
The number of drones surpassed 1,300.
Iranian attacks have hit Abu Dhabi airport, the Palm Jumeirah development and the Burj Al Arab hotel over the past week.
Drone debris caused a fire at the US consulate in Dubai on Tuesday.
Bahrain said it has intercepted 92 missiles and 151 drones since the start of the Iranian aggression.
AFP journalists heard an explosion in Manama as authorities said one person was injured by rocket shrapnel.
In Saudi Arabia, the defence ministry said it destroyed three ballistic missiles heading towards Prince Sultan Air Base.
It also destroyed 17 drones over the Shaybah oil field.
Kuwait’s national oil company announced a precautionary cut to its crude production due to Iranian attacks and threats to the Strait of Hormuz.