Gulf states come under Iranian fire as US strikes intensify
Iran launched strikes against multiple Gulf states including Qatar, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, and Oman overnight as US military operations against Iran intensified. Qatar elevated its security threat level after explosions were heard in Doha early Friday, with one child injured by shrapnel. The situation later returned to normal after threats were cleared.
Overnight strikes by Iranian forces targeted several countries across the Gulf region as the United States continued an intensified air campaign against Iran. According to reports, defensive measures were activated in Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Jordan, and Syria in response to Iranian missiles and drones. This marked the sixth consecutive night of US military strikes on Iranian targets.
The American air operations focused on civilian infrastructure in southern Iran, including telecommunications networks, railway systems, and the Bandar-e Khamir bridge in Hormozgan province. Local media reported at least seven deaths from these strikes on Thursday night. Tehran characterized its retaliatory strikes as targeting US military facilities in the region, asserting that Washington has used bases across the Gulf as platforms for attacking Iran.
In Qatar, which hosts significant US military infrastructure, security protocols were heightened following loud explosions heard across Doha in the early morning hours. Mobile phone alerts were issued to residents, and warning sirens activated throughout the capital. Qatar's Ministry of Interior confirmed that a child sustained injuries from falling shrapnel and was receiving medical treatment. The elevated threat level was subsequently downgraded after the immediate danger passed.
Iranian military forces claimed responsibility for multiple strikes across the region. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reported targeting US helicopters and reconnaissance aircraft at Bahrain's Sakhir airbase, as well as surveillance equipment in Oman, including air control radar and maritime monitoring systems. The IRGC also stated it struck a US military installation in Kuwait, claiming to have damaged missile defense systems and weapons storage facilities.
Defensive responses were reported across the region. Kurdish counterterrorism forces in northern Iraq reported shooting down eight explosive drones over Erbil with no casualties. Jordan's military announced its air defense systems intercepted three Iranian missiles transiting its airspace with no reported injuries.
Bell watches registries and rules change in near-real-time.