Iran launched coordinated missile and drone attacks targeting several Gulf countries hosting U.S. military installations, marking a major escalation in the conflict with Washington.
The attacks followed multiple rounds of U.S. airstrikes on more than 140 military targets in southern Iran and came after Tehran temporarily closed the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's busiest oil shipping routes, according to Al Jazeera.
Despite efforts to maintain a fragile truce, Iranian missiles and drones targeted several Gulf states overnight and into Sunday morning, further escalating tensions across the region.
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Missile and drone attacks were reported on Sunday in Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The strikes came hours after the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said it had carried out attacks on more than 140 military targets in Iran, including munitions storage facilities, naval assets, and missile and drone launch sites.
Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz had been rising for days before the latest exchange of attacks. After Iran struck a Cyprus-flagged container ship on Saturday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that the strategic waterway would be "closed until further notice", preventing ships from transiting the route.
According to regional authorities, every member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), except Saudi Arabia, reported intercepting Iranian drones or missiles.
In Qatar, three people, including a toddler, were injured by falling shrapnel, according to the Ministry of Interior. The gas-rich nation strongly condemned the attacks, describing them as a "dangerous escalation" that could undermine diplomatic efforts to restore regional stability.
Authorities in the United Arab Emirates said Iranian missiles and drones were intercepted by the country's air defence systems. The UAE later clarified that the missile threats remained outside its borders.
Meanwhile, Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, issued its third missile alert on Sunday. The Kuwaiti military also said it was intercepting incoming missiles. According to the state-run Oman News Agency, drones targeted multiple locations in the Musandam Governorate, the Omani exclave overlooking the Strait of Hormuz.
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The IRGC claimed it had destroyed a command centre and drone hangars at a U.S. military facility in Jordan and struck a U.S. radar site in Kuwait. Jordanian authorities, however, said three Iranian missiles landed in the country without causing any casualties.
Despite Sunday's escalation, Omani and Iranian officials said technical and political discussions on navigation through the Strait of Hormuz would continue.
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