Iran fires more missiles, drones across Gulf region amid US-Israeli attack | Israel-Iran conflict news

Gulf countries are facing a constant barrage of Iranian attacks as the US and Israel vow to continue military strikes against Iran.

Gulf countries are on high alert as Iran has launched several waves of drone and missile strikes across the region in response to continued attacks by the United States and Israel.

Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates faced a barrage of Iranian attacks late Thursday, with the Kuwaiti army general staff saying in a social media post that air defenses were intercepting missiles in the country’s airspace.

Qatar’s defense ministry said earlier in the day that the country had been targeted in several attacks, including 14 ballistic missiles and four drones coming from Iran.

Iran initially began hitting US military assets in the Gulf region but later expanded to include civilian installations after the US and Israel launched a war against the country on Saturday, killing at least 1,230 people so far, according to the latest figures cited by Iranian state media.

Iran’s attacks, which have largely targeted energy infrastructure, have killed at least six US service members and 11 people in Israel and three others in the UAE.

Oil and gas prices have soared as tankers remain stranded near the Strait of Hormuz amid attacks on ships in one of the world’s most important waterways. About 20 percent of the world’s crude passes through the strait.

Reporting from the Qatari capital Doha, Al Jazeera’s Laura Khan said Thursday that “air defense missiles are lighting up the night sky in Abu Dhabi”.

“We know that at least 131 drones and at least six ballistic missiles were sent to the United Arab Emirates in the previous day,” Khan said.

“The United Arab Emirates has really put its air defense system to the test with the constant volleys — drones in particular, but also ballistic and cruise missiles — that have continuously hit the country over the past six days.”

Meanwhile, in Bahrain, where the country’s main oil refinery was hit by an Iranian missile attack, local officials said the fire was quickly brought under control.

No injuries were reported at the Bapco Energies facility on Sitra Island, officials said, and operations continued as the extent of the damage was assessed.

Arab Gulf leaders have condemned Iran’s attacks as a violation of international law, saying in a joint statement with the US this week that they reaffirmed “their right to self-defense in the face of these attacks”.

Meanwhile, the US – which has vowed to continue its military offensive against Iran – has suspended services at some diplomatic missions in the region that have come under attack in recent days, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

On Thursday, the US Department of State announced the suspension of operations at its embassy in Kuwait City amid the war.