Explosions were reported Saturday morning in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, marking a sharp expansion of the regional conflict following the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.
In the United Arab Emirates, state media reported that one person was killed in Abu Dhabi after Iranian ballistic missiles targeted the country. Authorities said the missiles were intercepted, but debris fell in the capital, killing an Asian national. Explosions were also heard in Dubai’s marina district.
Iranian missile strike on Abu Dhabi, UAE
The UAE said it “was subjected to an Iranian ballistic missile attack” and declared it “has the full right to respond to this escalation and to take all necessary measures to protect its territory and population.”
In Bahrain, video circulating online showed smoke rising after what appeared to be a missile impact. The country’s National Communication Center said the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet support facility had come under missile attack. Smoke was seen in the Juffair area, which hosts the major American naval base.
An Iranian official told Reuters that “all U.S. bases and interests are within reach.” Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported that four U.S. military bases in the region were targeted by multiple Iranian ballistic missile attacks: Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE and the U.S. naval base in Bahrain.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) later announced the launch of what it called “Operation True Promise 4,” describing it as retaliation for what it termed "American-Zionist aggression against Iranian territory." The IRGC said it targeted the headquarters of the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain with missiles and drones and struck U.S. bases in Qatar and the UAE, in addition to military and security centers “in the heart of Israel.”
Smoke rises near US Navy base in Bahrain amid Iran conflagration
Moments of the attack on the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain
Amid the escalating attacks across the Gulf, Hungarian low-cost carrier Wizz Air announced it was canceling flights not only to Israel but also to Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Jordan. An Etihad Airways flight that departed Abu Dhabi for Tel Aviv turned back en route; however, amid air raid sirens in Israel, it remained in a holding pattern and had not been cleared to land, with passengers reportedly airborne for about four hours.
Two officials from Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi militia told The Associated Press that the group is expected to resume attacks on shipping in the Red Sea. Senior Houthi official Hezam al-Asad wrote on X that U.S. military bases in host countries “have brought them nothing but destruction,” warning that expanding the scope of strikes would lead to a broader confrontation and strengthen what he called the resistance.
Explosions were also reported in Iraq. Iraq’s Naya news agency said headquarters of the Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces, known as al-Hashd al-Shaabi, were targeted in an Israeli missile strike, killing three people. Another report said Iran had struck the U.S. base at al-Harir in Irbil.
Earlier, the U.S. Embassy in Qatar urged American citizens to seek shelter until further notice, warning of possible missile attacks. Qatar’s Interior Ministry called on residents to remain at home or in a safe location and to go outside only in cases of emergency until the threat had passed.
The New York Times reported that U.S. embassies in Jordan and the UAE instructed staff to shelter in place and recommended that American citizens do the same. The UAE’s state news agency announced a temporary and partial closure of the country’s airspace as a precautionary measure. Kuwait issued a similar notice.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said earlier that “the highest levels of readiness and coordination” were required among authorities to protect Lebanon, adding that the current sensitive phase demands full national responsibility and prioritizing Lebanon’s supreme interest. He stressed that the Lebanese state, through all its institutions, would remain the primary guarantor of security and stability.
First published: 11:13, 02.28.26