Agencies Doha :
A fresh wave of explosions rattled major Gulf cities on Sunday, including Doha, Riyadh, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, as Iran escalated its military response following the killing of its Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a “large-scale” retaliatory operation, with blasts also reported in Manama, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Israeli authorities confirmed that at least five people were killed and dozens injured in the latest missile barrage targeting Israeli cities.
In the United Arab Emirates, the Ministry of Defence reported that three people — nationals of Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh — were killed, while 58 others sustained injuries since the start of the Iranian strikes. The ministry disclosed that 165 ballistic missiles had been detected, of which 152 were intercepted and destroyed, along with two cruise missiles. Additionally, 541 Iranian drones were identified, with 506 successfully intercepted.
Kuwaiti authorities confirmed one fatality and dozens of injuries amid the expanding regional assault.
Meanwhile, Iranian state media circulated footage claiming that Iran’s air defence systems intercepted and destroyed a US MQ-9 drone. However, the claim has not been independently verified, and there has been no immediate confirmation from US officials.
The coordinated strikes mark a dramatic widening of the conflict, intensifying fears of a broader regional war as tensions surge across the Gulf and the wider Middle East.
