Iran unleashed successive waves of missile and drone attacks across the Gulf early on Sunday, targeting Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait in a sharp escalation of the regional conflict. The barrages followed a fresh round of United States airstrikes inside Iran, which Washington said were carried out in response to an Iranian attack on a commercial ship in the Strait of Hormuz.
The latest cycle of violence began late on Saturday when the US military command, CENTCOM, announced it had struck around 140 targets in southern Iran. American officials stated the operation was intended to degrade Iran's ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting the strait, after a Cyprus-flagged container ship was set ablaze and its crew forced to abandon the vessel.
In Qatar, residents of the capital Doha reported multiple loud explosions in two waves of attacks spread over roughly two hours. The country's air defences intercepted several Iranian ballistic missiles above the city, according to authorities. The Ministry of Interior said three people, including one child, were injured by falling shrapnel, and urged residents to remain in secure locations.
Missile-warning sirens also sounded across Bahrain, which hosts the US Navy's Fifth Fleet, while the United Arab Emirates issued public alerts warning of incoming missiles and drones. Kuwait was also targeted, and Iranian officials claimed further strikes reaching toward Jordan and Oman, though details in those countries remained unclear as air defences across the region were activated.
The attacks drew swift condemnation from Gulf capitals. Saudi Arabia denounced what it described as repeated Iranian violations of the sovereignty of neighbouring states and warned that the assaults threatened regional security. The United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Egypt also condemned the strikes and renewed appeals for restraint, while US President Donald Trump said American forces had hit Iran very hard. The US military added that traffic through the Strait of Hormuz was continuing uninterrupted.
The rapid escalation has intensified fears of a wider regional war and raised concern over global energy supplies, given the strait's role as a vital artery for the world's oil shipments. Diplomatic efforts to broker a de-escalation, which had already faltered in recent days, now face their most severe test yet, with several governments urging their citizens in the Gulf to shelter in place and monitor official guidance.
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