Iranian missiles target US bases across West Asia, expanding conflict

Iran launches missile attacks across Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait after joint Israel-US strikes, targeting US military bases and escalating regional tensions

As was long feared and expected, the joint Israel-US strikes against Iran on Saturday flared into a regional conflagration as Iran unleashed a barrage of missiles in the neighbourhood, targeting Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait.

 

All the targeted countries are home to some form of US military presence. The headquarters of America’s Fifth Fleet, based in Bahrain, was hit by a missile strike from Iran, the Associated Press reported earlier. Explosions were also reported from Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Kuwait.

 

Following the strikes on Iran, its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) declared that all US bases, resources and interests in the region were legitimate targets for the Iranian army, and that Israeli and US bases were hit by its missiles. 

Earlier in the day, Iran targeted Israel with a swarm of missiles, which were largely intercepted by that country's Iron Dome air defence system. Later in the evening, Israeli military reported another barrage of missiles. Israel has already placed precautionary advisories in place for its residents. 

 

  Iranian state-run Nour News said the IRGC had targeted several US bases, including Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates, as well as the US Fifth Fleet base in Bahrain, according to a Bloomberg report.  

At least one casualty has been reported from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to state media. Multiple explosions were also reported from the city, according to Reuters.

 

Kuwait said its military had intercepted Iranian missile attacks inside its airspace and reiterated its right to defend itself. Later, a Kuwaiti defence ministry spokesperson confirmed an Iranian missile attack on a US military base in the country.

 

Qatar also faced a barrage of missile attacks from Iran, with multiple blasts heard in its capital, Doha, even as the defence ministry claimed it had downed all missiles that were part of a second wave of attacks. In anticipation of such attacks, though, the Qatari government had issued mobile phone warnings to residents asking them to stay away from military installations.

 

Jordan’s military also said it had downed at least two ballistic missiles targeting the country.

 

Meanwhile, the Saudi Arabia foreign ministry condemned the attacks on its regional neighbours — whom it called ‘brotherly countries’ — and extended all support to them, even as explosions were reported from Riyadh. The Saudi foreign ministry also called upon the international community to condemn the Iranian attacks and to confront Iran’s violations that undermined the security and stability of the region.

 

The Israel-US strikes and Iran's retaliation also meant that air travel across the West Asia region came to a standstill as nations closed their airspaces, forcing airlines to cancel flights and divert those already in the air.