Persian Gulf air defenses activated amid strikes
Missiles target U.S. bases as Iran, Israel and U.S. trade attacks
Missiles and air defenses were activated across the Persian Gulf after a wave of strikes and counterstrikes between Iran, Israel and the United States that disrupted military sites, airspace and civilian areas.
Regional officials reported that a facility linked to the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain was struck by a missile, prompting sirens and orders to seek shelter. Smoke was observed near the Juffair naval area. Bahraini authorities urged residents to follow official guidance. Qatar said it intercepted an Iranian missile with a Patriot system and the U.S. embassy warned nationals to shelter as missiles approached. The UAE temporarily closed parts of its airspace and reported explosions near Abu Dhabi and Dubai; authorities said an interceptor missile killed one person. Kuwait and Syria also announced temporary airspace closures; Jordan conducted aerial patrols while civil defense sirens sounded and the Interior Ministry issued safety instructions.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared it had launched missiles and drones toward Israel in retaliation for an earlier joint Israeli–U.S. attack on Iranian targets. Iranian state and semi-official outlets reported blasts in multiple Iranian cities, including Tehran, Qom, Isfahan, Kermanshah and Lorestan, and said Revolutionary Guard personnel and senior officials were among those killed or wounded by initial Israeli strikes. Israeli media and U.S. sources described the operation, named “Lion’s Roar,” as an intense first phase aimed at military infrastructure and key leaders, with planners seeking partial surprise. U.S. leadership said it had begun “major combat operations” alongside Israel.
International reporting and witnesses described loud explosions in Riyadh and across Persian Gulf states hosting U.S. bases, and outlets reported Iranian missiles targeted Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE. Citing Emirati sources, said one person died after an interceptor missile. The U.S. embassy in Jordan ordered staff to remain at home; other embassies issued shelter-in-place warnings.
