Iran launched missile and drone attacks against multiple Gulf states and Jordan on Sunday, widening its retaliation across the region hours after the United States carried out a third round of airstrikes on Iranian targets over attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Explosions were heard over Doha, where witnesses reported missile interceptions lighting up the night sky and residents received emergency alerts urging them to stay indoors. Air raid sirens sounded in Bahrain, home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, while the United Arab Emirates issued public warnings of incoming missile and drone attacks. Kuwait’s military said it intercepted four missiles and 10 drones targeting its territory, and Jordan’s military said it shot down eight missiles fired toward the kingdom. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it targeted US military installations across the affected countries and warned other American bases in the region remained vulnerable if Washington continued operations.
The attacks drew swift condemnation from Gulf governments. Saudi Arabia denounced what it called repeated Iranian violations of neighboring states’ sovereignty, warning the strikes threatened regional security. The UAE, Qatar and Egypt issued similar condemnations and renewed calls for restraint, while Gulf leaders stepped up diplomatic contacts aimed at reviving negotiations. Qatar’s prime minister held separate calls with Iran’s foreign minister and Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, urging a return to diplomacy.
At the United Nations Security Council on Friday, Bahrain’s ambassador accused Iran of exploiting diplomatic talks to buy time while continuing military operations, saying Tehran had repeatedly violated the Islamabad memorandum signed in June and prior Security Council resolutions.
Sunday’s escalation followed a familiar pattern from earlier this year, when Iran struck Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE and Jordan in response to US strikes, prompting Iranian officials at the time to insist they held no hostility toward Gulf neighbors and were only targeting American military assets on their soil. Gulf states have condemned each round of attacks as violations of their sovereignty while continuing to push, so far without success, for a durable de-escalation between Washington and Tehran.
