Iran simultaneously fired ballistic missiles to Israel, Bahrain, UAE, Qatar in retaliation to the US and Israel’s joint attack near the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Reuters reported that the sound of another massive explosion was heard in Dubai.
Explosions were heard in the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi, and a missile was intercepted by Qatari missile defence hours, according to reports. Two Abu Dhabi residents told the news agency AFP that they heard the blasts. Explosions were also heard across Doha and Riyadh, AFP reported.
It was not immediately clear if the US air bases in Abu Dhabi and Qatar’s Doha were attacked.
In Abu Dhabi, the UAE Air Force and the US Air Force share the Al Dhafra Air Base. The UAE had earlier closed its airspace “temporarily and partially" as an exceptional precautionary measure. In Doha, the 24-hectare Al Udeid Air Base is the forward headquarters for US Central Command.
Bahrain on Saturday said that a missile attack targeted the US Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters in the island kingdom. It offered no other immediate information about the attack. “The Fifth Fleet’s service centre was subjected to a missile attack. We will provide you with details later," Bahrain’s National Communication Centre said in a statement. The US Navy’s Fifth Fleet area of responsibility includes the Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and parts of the Indian Ocean. Several US ships have their home port in Bahrain, including anti-mine vessels and logistical support ships.
The US reportedly has over 2,000 soldiers in Saudi Arabia, with some of them being stationed roughly 60 km south of Riyadh, at Prince Sultan Air Base. The base supports US Army assets, including Patriot missile batteries and Terminal High Altitude Area Defence systems. It was not immediately clear if the US troops in Abu Dhabi, Doha and Riyadh were attacked.
Israel launched pre-emptive strikes in Iran, with help from America, after which US President Donald Trump announced that the military operations in Iran were to protect the people of his country.
“Short time ago, the US military began major combat operation in Iran. Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime," Trump said.
“Terrible and malicious people. Iran must not have nuclear weapons. Never. This regime will learn that it must not challenge American military power…We’re going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground. It will be totally, again, obliterated. We’re going to annihilate their Navy."
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Saturday confirmed a short while ago that missiles had been launched from Iran toward Israeli territory following a joint US-Israeli "pre-emptive" strike on Iranian territory.
According to the IDF, defensive systems were immediately activated to intercept the incoming threat, underscoring Israel's layered missile defence capabilities.
The Home Front Command has issued precautionary directives via mobile phone alerts to citizens in affected areas, instructing them to seek immediate shelter.
"A short while ago, the IDF identified missiles launched from Iran toward Israel. Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat. In the past few minutes, the Home Front Command has sent a precautionary directive directly to mobile phones in the relevant areas," IDF posted on X.
This direct strike follows weeks of high-stakes nuclear negotiations and mounting military posturing in the region.
A senior Iranian official told Al Jazeera that they are telling Israel to “prepare for what is coming, and our response will be public, and there are no red lines".
“All American and Israeli assets and interests in the Middle East have become a legitimate target. There are no red lines after this aggression, and everything is possible, including scenarios that were not previously considered," the official said.
“The United States and Israel have started an aggression and a war that will have wide and long-lasting repercussions. We were not surprised by the joint American-Israeli aggression and we have a complex response with no time limit," the official stated, adding that any calls for Iran to show restraint or surrender are “unacceptable and mere wishful thinking".
