Iran’s ongoing missile and drone retaliation across the Gulf has left three people dead and 58 others injured in the United Arab Emirates, Emirati authorities confirmed on Sunday.
Explosions rocked major Gulf cities, with powerful blasts reported in Dubai, Doha, Manama, and Riyadh, as Iran intensified its second day of counter-strikes following US and Israeli attacks that reportedly killed its supreme leader and several top officials.
The unprecedented bombardment has heightened fears of a broader regional war, unsettling a region long regarded as a relatively stable zone within the volatile Middle East.
According to Abu Dhabi’s defence ministry, the three fatalities in the UAE were foreign nationals from Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh. Since Saturday, the UAE has detected 165 ballistic missiles, intercepting 152 of them, along with two cruise missiles. Authorities also reported shooting down 506 out of 541 Iranian drones.
In Kuwait, officials said one person was killed and 32 others injured. Oman, which had initially been spared and previously played a mediating role in US-Iran talks, confirmed that two drones struck the port of Duqm. One drone hit a mobile workers’ accommodation, injuring a foreign worker, while debris from another fell near fuel tanks without causing casualties.
Oman later reported that an oil tanker off its coast was targeted. The crew was evacuated, with four sustaining injuries.
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is expected to hold an emergency virtual meeting to coordinate a collective response to the escalating attacks.
Civilian infrastructure across the Gulf has come under fire, including airports, seaports, residential buildings, and hotels. UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash condemned Tehran’s actions, describing the strikes as a strategic miscalculation.
“Your war is not with your neighbours,” Gargash said, accusing Iran of isolating itself at a critical moment.
Security analyst Anna Jacobs warned that Gulf nations now find themselves on the front lines of a dangerous conflict. While Gulf states traditionally advocate diplomacy and de-escalation, she noted that continued attacks could force them to take stronger action.
In Bahrain, drones struck the airport in Manama early Sunday, causing minor damage. The US embassy there advised citizens to avoid hotels in the capital, warning they could become targets after the Crowne Plaza hotel was hit.
Footage circulating online showed smoke and flames rising from residential towers in Manama after drones and falling debris struck buildings.
In the UAE, debris from intercepted drones injured two people in Dubai. In Abu Dhabi, a woman and child were hurt when drone debris struck the facade of Etihad Towers, officials said.
Saturday’s strikes also ignited fires at prominent sites including The Palm waterfront development and the Burj Al Arab hotel. At Abu Dhabi’s airport, at least one person was killed and seven others wounded during what authorities described as an “incident,” while another individual died earlier from falling debris.
Dubai International Airport — the world’s busiest for international passengers — and Kuwait International Airport were also hit.
In Qatar, which hosts the region’s largest US military base, officials reported that Iran launched 65 missiles and 12 drones toward the country. Most were intercepted, but eight people were injured, one critically.
Witnesses reported smoke rising from US military facilities in Abu Dhabi and Manama, home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, with additional American bases in Kuwait also targeted.
The oil- and gas-rich Gulf monarchies host several US military installations, underscoring the strategic stakes as tensions continue to mount.
