After the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran launched a large-scale counterattack targeting U.S. military posts in the Middle East, causing civilian casualties in Gulf countries including the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Kuwait. Gulf foreign ministers decided to hold an emergency videoconference to discuss a unified response.
The UAE Ministry of National Defense said on the 1st local time that three civilians were killed and 58 suffered minor injuries in Iran's attacks. It said that of the 165 Iranian ballistic missiles fired toward the UAE since on the 28th, 152 were shot down and 13 fell into the sea. Two cruise missiles and 541 drones were also detected and mostly intercepted, but 35 drones fell within its territory, killing three foreign nationals.
Damage to civilian facilities was also reported, including debris from interceptions striking the outer wall of a building in Abu Dhabi's diplomatic district. A warehouse at the Al Salam naval base, where French forces are stationed, was hit by a drone attack, causing a fire, but there were no casualties.
The Kuwait Ministry of National Defense said it intercepted 97 Iranian ballistic missiles and 283 drones aimed at the country. Local authorities said debris from missiles and drones caused minor damage, with one person killed and 32 injured.
At Oman's Duqm Port, two drone attacks injured one worker, and in Qatar, debris from an intercepted missile fell on an industrial complex, sparking a fire. Saudi Arabia also intercepted missiles aimed at Riyadh International Airport and Prince Sultan Air Base, and there were no casualties, reports said.
As major airports in the Gulf region closed one after another, flights across the region, including at Dubai International Airport, were largely suspended. It is being described as the largest air travel disruption in recent years.
Gulf foreign ministers are set to hold a videoconference this evening to discuss joint response measures. Saudi Arabia summoned the Iranian ambassador to lodge a protest.
Iran said it did not directly target the Gulf countries. Ali Larijani, secretary-general of the Supreme National Security Council, said, "We have no intention of attacking you," adding, "If a U.S. military base is used for the attacks, that base becomes the target." Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also said, "This war was forced by the United States and Israel," while adding that he asked the military to exercise caution so that only U.S.-related facilities would be targeted.