The ongoing War between Iran, Israel, and the US has escalated into a full-blown regional conflict, engulfing major Gulf countries. From the UAE to Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan have been targeted by Iran since Saturday after US-Israel launced collaborative ‘preemptive’ strikes ‘Operation Epic Fury’ and ‘Operation Roaring Lion’.
US military bases across the Gulf are under sustained Iranian attack as retaliation for US-Israeli airstrikes that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps launched missiles and drones targeting facilities in Bahrain, including the US 5th Fleet HQ, Qatar, UAE, the Al Dhafra and Jebel Ali, Kuwait, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Oman, with explosions reported in Manama, Dubai, and Doha.
Most projectiles were intercepted, but injuries occurred in Qatar and sirens blared region-wide; Gulf nations described the strikes as sovereignty violations.
Prominent area including Kuwait International Airport, Palm Jumeirah, and Dubai International Airport, were all affected by Iranian Attacks.
Iran’s strike overwhelmed Gulf defences, with major areas like Dubai, Doha, and Manama sustaining serious hits despite high interception rates, exposing vulnerabilities in regional air shields.
The UAE alone downed approximately 132 of 137 ballistic missiles and 195 of 209 drones, yet 14 drones evaded defences to land on UAE soil and waters, causing damage, debris falls, and injuries, including near Etihad Towers housing Israel’s embassy.
Qatar intercepted 18 missiles but reported 16 injuries, Bahrain downed 45 missiles and 9 drones, yet saw strikes hit residential Manama buildings with four hospitalized, highlighting how drone swarms exploited gaps in multi-layered systems amid the sheer volume of ‘Operation True Promise 4.’
Middle Eastern air defences, despite intercepting most Iranian missiles, struggled with drone swarms due to their low cost, slow speed, and sheer numbers overwhelming radar and interceptor capacity.
Iran launched hundreds of ‘Shahed’ drones alongside missiles, exhausting systems like Patriot and THAAD. Drones flew below radar horizons, evading early detection.
These attacks, which saw missile interceptions, but drone economics and saturation tactics exposed over-reliance on layered defences, proved that low-tech swarms can still inflict damage amid hybrid warfare.
