SMOKE POURED FROM US BASES
Missiles streaked across the sky around the Gulf, many of them intercepted. But smoke poured from US bases in the UAE and Bahrain, home of the American Navy’s Fifth Fleet.
Falling debris killed a Pakistani civilian in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates capital, authorities said. Dozens of loud, window-rattling bangs echoed over Gulf cities throughout the day, the second Saturday of the holy month of Ramadan.
“The sound of the first explosion terrified me,” said a 50-year-old retiree living near the US base in the Juffair area of Manama, Bahrain’s capital, where residents were quickly evacuated.
The UAE and Saudi Arabia both warned they retained the right to respond to the attacks, which Riyadh called “unjustified aggression”.
The oil-and-gas-rich Arab monarchies, lying just across the Gulf from Iran, are long-term American allies and host a clutch of US military bases.
However, they also maintain ties with Tehran. The UAE and Saudi Arabia were attacked despite pledging not to let US forces use their territory for operations against Iran.
Conflict is unusual in the Gulf, which has traded on its reputation for stability to become the Middle East’s commercial and diplomatic hub.
QATAR HOSTS REGION’S BIGGEST US BASE
The unprecedented barrage heavily targeted Qatar, host of the region’s biggest US military base, as well as Riyadh, eastern Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
The UAE, Qatar and Kuwait all announced that their airspace was closed.
Military activity was visible around the Gulf. An AFP journalist in Qatar saw one missile destroyed in a puff of white smoke, while another in Dubai saw a volley of Patriot interceptors taking off.
Four people were wounded in the incident on the Palm, Dubai’s media office said, while loud explosions were heard in the city – home of the world’s tallest building – throughout the day and evening.
Doha also shook under several volleys of missiles. Qatar’s defence ministry said it had “repelled a number of attacks”, while authorities said they were suspending maritime transport.
Al Udeid base in Qatar houses CENTCOM, the region’s American military command, as well as its air and special operations forces.
Iran fired missiles at Al Udeid last June after US strikes targeted Iranian nuclear facilities during a brief war with Israel.