Gulf states intercepted fresh waves of Iranian drones and missiles late Tuesday, Brasília time, escalating tensions in the region.
The United Arab Emirates alerted its residents to seek shelter as its air defenses responded to missile and drone threats originating from Iran, according to the Ministry of Defense.
Saudi Arabia’s defense ministry reported intercepting six ballistic missiles targeting Prince Sultan Air Base in recent hours. The country too stated it intercepted multiple drones in eastern regions, following an earlier interception of ballistic weapons aimed at the Shaybah oil field.
Sirens sounded in Bahrain Tuesday morning, prompting the Ministry of Interior to advise residents to proceed to the nearest safe location.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps announced earlier it had executed “continuous and multi-layered waves” against American and Israeli targets. This latest exchange of attacks comes amid a broader conflict that began on February 28.
What is happening in the Middle East?
The United States and Israel are engaged in conflict with Iran following a coordinated attack on February 28 that resulted in the death of Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, in Tehran.
Several high-ranking Iranian officials have also been killed. The U.S. Military claims to have destroyed dozens of Iranian naval vessels, as well as air defense systems, aircraft, and other military targets.
In response, the Iranian regime has launched attacks against several countries in the region, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Iraq, and Oman. Iranian authorities maintain they are only targeting interests of the United States and Israel within those nations.
According to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists Agency, more than 1,200 civilians have died in Iran since the start of the war. The White House, for its part, has reported at least seven deaths of American soldiers directly related to Iranian attacks. The escalating conflict raises concerns about wider regional instability and potential disruptions to global energy supplies.
