Air defense sirens sounded across parts of the Gulf late Saturday as Iran launched missile and drone attacks targeting U.S. military bases in Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait in response to joint attacks launched by the U.S. and Israel.
In Bahrain, explosions were heard in the Juffair district of the capital Manama, where a U.S. military base is located. Bahrain's Interior Ministry said several residential buildings were damaged in the attacks.
In Kuwait, drones struck the area around Kuwait International Airport on Saturday evening, damaging a construction site at the airport's Terminal 2 project.
Kuwait's Health Ministry said multiple waves of attacks throughout the day injured at least 12 people, all of whom were hospitalized.
Late that night, additional explosions were reported southwest of Doha, the capital of Qatar.
A Qatari government source said that Qatar was attacked by 44 missiles and 8 drones that day.
Qatar's Interior Ministry issued a nationwide emergency alert, urging residents to remain indoors and away from military sites.
In response to the security situation, Qatar suspended all public events, gatherings and entertainment activities at hotels and tourist sites until further notice. Authorities also ordered vessels to halt maritime operations, all schools and kindergartens to launch remote teaching. Museums nationwide are also ordered to temporarily close.
The U.S. Embassy in Qatar warned American citizens of a potential Iranian missile threat and advised them to seek shelter. The British Embassy issued a similar advisory to its nationals.
Meanwhile, sources said some personnel were being evacuated from the Al Udeid Air Base, located about 35 kilometers southwest of Doha and roughly 200 kilometers from the Qatari-Iranian border.
The base hosts around 10,000 U.S. troops and is one of the largest U.S. military based in the Gulf region.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said a U.S.-deployed radar facility in Qatar had been "completely destroyed". According to the statement, the radar system was used to track ballistic missiles with a detection range of up to 5,000 kilometers.
The Foreign Ministry of Iraq said Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein held a phone call with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi. Araghchi said Iran would consider U.S. military bases in the Middle East as legitimate targets in response actions, but the strikes were limited to U.S. military facilities and not aimed at host countries.
Hussein reiterated Iraq's opposition to military escalation, stressing that war is not a solution and that dialogue remains the best way to de-escalate tensions and maintain regional stability.
Iran strikes US bases across Gulf states in response to joint military attacks
