Explosions continued to rock the Gulf region on Sunday, as Iran carried out retaliatory strikes following attacks by the United States and Israel that killed its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with other senior officials.
At least three people have died in the United Arab Emirates amid mounting fears of a broader regional conflict.
The blasts were reported across Dubai in the UAE, Manama in Bahrain, and Doha in Qatar, shaking cities long considered safe havens in a turbulent Middle East.
Witnesses in Doha described hearing multiple loud bangs and seeing thick black smoke rising against the clear morning sky in the southern part of the city.
Shortly after, another wave of explosions hit Dubai, a major business hub. White smoke from intercepted missiles appeared in the city skies, while dark plumes rose over Jebel Ali, one of the Middle East’s busiest ports.
The UAE Ministry of Defence confirmed that the three fatalities were Pakistani, Nepalese, and Bangladeshi nationals.
In Manama, witnesses reported at least four loud explosions, though no immediate damage or casualties were confirmed. Meanwhile, the Oman News Agency reported that Duqm commercial port in central Oman was struck by two drones, injuring one expatriate worker.
The Gulf Cooperation Council condemned the attack, with Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Majed al-Ansari calling it “an attack on the very principle of mediation,” as Oman had been mediating between Iran and the US prior to the attacks.
The assaults follow a series of Iranian strikes on US bases and assets across the Gulf. Thousands of US troops are stationed in the oil- and gas-rich Arab states opposite Iran.
According to Iran’s Ministry of Defence, on Saturday alone it launched 137 missiles and 209 drones across the UAE, causing fires and smoke near Dubai landmarks including Palm Jumeirah and Burj al-Arab.
Abu Dhabi airport suffered casualties during an “incident,” while Dubai and Kuwait airports were also targeted. In Qatar, officials reported 65 missiles and 12 drones launched toward the Gulf state, most intercepted, yet 16 people were injured.
Jordan intercepted missiles entering its airspace, with sirens also heard in Kuwait. In northern Iraq, a drone reportedly crashed near Erbil International Airport, where US forces remain as part of an anti-ISIL coalition.
Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday, warning that, “unless the necessary intervention is made,” the unfolding conflict in Iran could have “serious” global and regional consequences. Meanwhile, the leaders of the E3—UK, France, and Germany,condemned Iran’s attacks on US bases, stating that the strikes targeted allies and threatened civilians and service personnel.
Their joint statement added, “We call on Iran to stop these reckless attacks immediately. We will take steps to defend our interests and those of our allies in the region, potentially through enabling necessary and proportionate defensive action to destroy Iran’s capability to fire missiles and drones at their source.”
A US official told Al Jazeera that Washington anticipates the conflict with Iran could “last for weeks, not just days,” with the aim of ensuring Iran does not acquire nuclear weapons or ballistic missiles.
Iranian President, Masoud Pezeshkian, condemned Khamenei’s killing as “a great crime.” The country’s military chief of staff, Abdul Rahim Mousavi, was also killed in the US-Israeli strikes. Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf declared, “You [the US and Israel] have crossed our red line and must pay the price. We will deliver such devastating blows that you yourselves will be driven to beg.”
US President Donald Trump warned that the US would strike Iran “with a force that has never been seen before” if Iran retaliates over Khamenei’s death, stating, “THEY BETTER NOT DO THAT, HOWEVER, BECAUSE IF THEY DO, WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!”
Israel reported early on Sunday that its military had struck more than 30 targets in western and central Iran and planned further attacks on air defence installations, missile sites, military headquarters, and other “regime targets.” Since Saturday, over 200 people have died in Iran, including at least 148 in an attack on a girls’ elementary school in Minab.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it was targeting 27 US military bases, the Israeli Tel Nof Airbase, the army command headquarters at HaKirya in Tel Aviv, and a major defence industrial complex.
Air raid sirens were repeatedly heard across Israel, including Tel Aviv, following a series of explosions shortly after 6 a.m. (03:00 GMT).
Meanwhile, Iran announced the formation of a three-person interim council to manage the transition after Khamenei’s death, as mourning supporters took to the streets of Tehran and other cities. Pezeshkian also declared seven days of public holidays in addition to the 40 days of official mourning.
Analysts note that escalating conflict with Iran appears to contradict US criticisms of regime change policies in the Middle East.
