Iran Strikes Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and UAE With Drones and Missiles

Drones and missiles targeted Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates on Sunday morning as Iran continued its strikes on Israel and Gulf countries.

“The Gulf celebrates Eid al-Adha amid war”

Al-Monitor

The Saudi Defense Ministry said its systems intercepted and destroyed ten drones over the capital Riyadh and the kingdom's eastern region, while Bahrain said it had intercepted 125 missiles and 203 drones since the start of Iranian attacks.

Al-Monitor

Bahrain said the attacks killed two people in the kingdom and 24 others in neighboring Gulf countries, and the Gulf states warned their populations they were trying to intercept the incoming projectiles.

Euronews also reported that Tehran threatened to widen its campaign and called for the evacuation of three major ports in the United Arab Emirates, after the United States struck Kharg Island.

The conflict has nearly disrupted navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, sending oil prices up 40% and shaking the global economy, according to Euronews.

As the war continued after the outbreak of the conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran on February 28, the Gulf celebrated Eid al-Adha, described as the first time in decades that Gulf states celebrate one of Islam's holiest holidays amid a regional conflict.

Al-Monitor said the last such period was during the Gulf War of 1990-1991, and it reported that Gulf states have repeatedly faced Iranian missile attacks since February 28.

DW

Saudi authorities said last week that about 1.51 million pilgrims had arrived from outside the kingdom to perform the annual pilgrimage, surpassing last year's tally by more than 11,000 pilgrims.

In the United Arab Emirates, Emirates and Etihad Airways warned travelers of severe congestion and long lines at Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Abu Dhabi's Zayed International Airport, urging travelers to arrive at the departure lounges at least three hours before flight time and to reach the boarding gates at least 60 minutes before takeoff.

Al-Monitor reported that Dubai International Airport welcomed 7.7 million passengers last month and it is expected that the number of travelers will exceed 190,000 per day during the Eid al-Fitr holiday, according to Dubai Airports.

DW said war broke out between Iran on one side and the United States and Israel on the other after negotiations between Washington and Tehran collapsed unexpectedly.

“Drones and missiles targeted Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates on Sunday morning”

Euronews

DW reported that the initial strikes targeted sensitive leadership sites in Iran and resulted in the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several of the most prominent military and security leaders.

In response, Tehran retaliated with direct strikes on Israel and American bases in the Middle East, quickly widening the war to include Iraq and some Gulf states affected by the conflict's shrapnel.

DW also quoted political researcher Dah Yaqub saying the decision to go to war was “very surprising and unexpected,” because the indicators pointed to successful negotiations under the sponsorship of the Sultanate of Oman.

DW added that Omani journalist and international affairs researcher Salim al-Jahouri said that if the war continues for weeks and months, the cost will be very high for both sides, especially Iran, which will not be able to withstand in the coming months against this scale of daily destruction it faces.